MARYLAND
A former judge in Charles County, Maryland plead guilty to ordering a deputy sheriff to stun a defendant who posed no threat to him or others because the defendant wouldn’t stop reading a statement in court, according to officials.
Robert C. Nalley, a former judge, plead guilty to one count of the deprivation of rights under color of law for ordering a deputy sheriff to activate a stun-cuff worn by a criminal defendant Delvon Louis King during a pre-trial court proceeding, officials said.
Sentencing for Nalley is scheduled for March 31.
“Under our constitution, judges serve as the guardians and arbitrators of justice,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When government officials – including judges – violate the rights we entrust them to defend and break the laws we expect them to uphold, they undermine the legitimacy of our justice system.”
From 1988 to September 2014, Nalley was a judge of the Circuit Court for Charles County.
According to his guilty plea, on July 23, 2014, Judge Nalley presided over the jury selection for the victim, who was representing himself in a criminal proceeding in Charles County court.
Before the proceedings began, a deputy sheriff informed Judge Nalley that the victim was wearing a stun-cuff. Nalley was aware that when activated, the stun-cuff would administer an electrical shock to the victim, thereby incapacitating him and causing him pain, according to officials.
Several minutes after the proceedings had begun, Judge Nalley asked the victim whether he had any questions for the potential jurors.
The victim repeatedly ignored Nalley and instead read from a prepared statement, objecting to Judge Nalley’s authority to preside over the proceedings, while standing calmly behind a table in the courtroom, officials said.
The victim did not make any aggressive movements, did not attempt to flee the courtroom and did not pose a threat to himself or to any other person at any point during the proceedings, according to authorities.
Judge Nalley twice ordered the victim to stop reading his statement, but the victim continued to speak.
Judge Nalley then ordered the deputy sheriff to activate the stun-cuff, which administered an electric shock to the victim for approximately five seconds. The electric shock caused the victim to fall to the ground and scream in pain, according to officials.
Judge Nalley recessed the proceedings.
King, who is in his mid-twenties, was facing three gun charges and acting as his own attorney before Nalley during jury selection.
According to the Baltimore Examiner article, King had already frustrated Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier during the initial jury selection. She passed the case to Nalley.
King was back before Bragunier the following day, where he was convicted on all three counts. He will be sentenced later this month, according to the Bay Net.com
Before his ill-fated appearance before Nalley, King had at least 25 previous appearances in the judicial system dating back to 2007, according to Bay Net.com