Thursday, June 29, 2006

Bench Pumping



Former Judge Donald D. Thompson of Oklahoma, a veteran of 23 years on the bench, is on trial on charges he used a penis pump on himself in the courtroom while sitting in judgment of others. Thompson’s former court reporter, Lisa Foster, wiped away tears as she described tracing an unfamiliar “sh-sh” in the courtroom to her boss. She testified that between 2001 and 2003 she saw Thompson expose himself at least 15 times. “I was really shocked and I was kind of scared because it was so bizarre,” Foster said. She testified that during a trial in 2002, she heard the pump during the emotional testimony of a murdered toddler’s grandfather. The grandfather “was getting real teary-eyed, and the judge was up there pumping on that pump,” she said. “It was sickening.” The allegations came to light after a police officer who was in Thompson’s court heard pumping sounds and took photos of the device during a break in the proceedings. The story is from MSNBC.com

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