Judge Tracie Hunter: Abuse Of Power And Lawbreaking

Tracie Hunter, a former judge for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court in Ohio, was convicted of a felony in 2014. The charge was related to Hunter using her position as judge to give her brother, a juvenile court employee facing termination, confidential documents. She was sentenced to six months in jail and, after numerous appeals, served 75 days of her sentence in 2019. In 2023, the Ohio Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Hunter's law license, but she is now eligible to apply for reinstatement.

Backdating documents

Tracie Hunter, former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge, was indicted on multiple felony charges by a Hamilton County grand jury. One of the accusations was that Hunter backdated documents to prevent prosecutors from appealing her decisions against them.

During the trial, Hunter's defence witness, Hamilton County Juvenile Court data tracking coordinator and case manager Lisa Miller, testified that she was trained to backdate court documents. Miller said she was told to make sure that the case entries appeared chronologically. She also said that it was not uncommon for her to create a document on one day and not be able to finish it, owing to a heavy caseload and being sometimes behind on her work.

Miller also explained how the save feature worked in the computer system. She said she could create the judicial entry, save it while waiting for changes and corrections, then finalise it, but it would always have the original date on it. Some documents were backdated by a day or two, while others were backdated by several weeks or months.

Backdated entries were made by at least three people in Hunter's court because she did not have her own full-time case manager, Miller testified.

Improperly giving confidential documents to her brother

Tracie Hunter, the former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge, was convicted of improperly giving confidential documents to her brother, Steven Hunter. Steven was employed as a corrections officer at the Hamilton County Juvenile Court's Youth Center.

In 2012, Steven punched a juvenile inmate in the face and was facing a disciplinary hearing as a result. At the time, he was also accused of "hitting" another person at the Youth Center. Before the hearing, Tracie demanded "all documentation of every incident and every employee" related to the incident from the center's superintendent. She then passed these documents to her brother, who gave them to his attorney. The attorney declined to accept most of the documents, deeming it "unethical" to do so.

Steven testified that his sister gave him the documents, which he then used in his disciplinary hearing. Tracie was indicted on multiple felony charges, including the unlawful interest in a public contract, a fourth-degree felony. She was accused of using her position as a judge to access her brother's confidential personnel file and other records.

A jury convicted Tracie of a single count related to giving confidential documents to her brother. They could not agree on verdicts for the other eight counts, and those charges were later dropped. Tracie was sentenced to six months in jail but was allowed to remain out of jail while she pursued appeals. She ended up serving 75 days in jail.

Hiring her brother to work for her at the court

In 2014, Tracie Hunter, a former judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, was convicted of a felony charge relating to her use of her position to benefit her brother, a juvenile court employee facing disciplinary action and possible termination. Hunter was found guilty of providing her brother with confidential documents, which he then used in his defence during his hearing.

At the time, Hunter's brother, Steven Hunter, was employed as a corrections officer at the Hamilton County Juvenile Court's Youth Center. He faced disciplinary action following an allegation of "hitting" a person at the centre. Prior to his hearing before the Disciplinary Committee, Tracie Hunter allegedly demanded and obtained "all documentation of every incident and every employee" related to the incident from the centre's superintendent. She then passed these documents to her brother, who shared them with his attorney. The attorney declined to accept most of the documents, stating that it would be "unethical".

During the trial, Steven Hunter testified that his sister, Tracie Hunter, had provided him with the documents he used in his disciplinary hearing. The prosecution argued that Hunter had used her position and influence to help her brother, who worked in the county's juvenile lockup. They presented evidence, including testimony from a former bailiff, Avery Corbin, who stated that Hunter had used her position to get her brother, overtime hours working security in her courtroom.

The indictment against Hunter accused her of utilising her position and influence improperly to benefit her brother. The jury ultimately convicted Hunter of a single count related to providing confidential documents to her brother, a charge of "unlawful interest in a public contract". The remaining charges were later dropped.

As a result of her conviction, Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail and was allowed to remain out of jail while she pursued appeals. In 2019, a judge ruled that her sentence must be served, and she ended up spending 75 days behind bars, in addition to paying court costs and completing community service.

Using her position to obtain documents from her brother's personnel file

In 2014, Tracie Hunter, a former judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, was accused of using her position to obtain documents from her brother's personnel file. At the time, Hunter was a judge in Hamilton County's Juvenile Court, and her brother, Steven Hunter, was a corrections officer at the court's Youth Center.

Steven Hunter was accused of "hitting" a person at the center and was facing a disciplinary hearing. Before the hearing, Tracie Hunter allegedly demanded from the center's superintendent "all documentation of every incident and every employee" related to the incident. She then passed these documents to her brother, who gave them to his attorney. The attorney declined to accept most of the documents, stating that it would be "unethical".

Prosecutors alleged that Tracie Hunter had improperly used her judicial authority to access her brother's personnel file and other records. They argued that the documents she obtained were not typically available to attorneys representing workers in disciplinary hearings.

Steven Hunter testified that he received the documents from his sister and gave them to his attorney the night before his disciplinary hearing. He was ultimately terminated from his position.

Tracie Hunter was indicted on multiple felony charges, including having an unlawful interest in a public contract. A jury convicted her of a single count related to giving confidential documents to her brother, a fourth-degree felony. She was sentenced to six months in jail but was allowed to remain out of jail while she pursued appeals.

The case raised questions about the ethical boundaries of judicial power and the accessibility of confidential information. It also sparked discussions about the role of family ties in influencing judicial decisions and the potential for abuse of power.

Misusing a court-issued credit card

Tracie Hunter, former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge, was indicted on eight charges, including evidence tampering, office theft, forgery, and misusing a court-issued credit card. The charges related to Hunter's misuse of a court-issued credit card stem from allegations that she used the card to pay for court fees stemming from lawsuits filed against her.

This misuse of a court-issued credit card is just one of several allegations of judicial impropriety levelled against Hunter. In addition to the credit card misuse, Hunter was accused of backdating court records to prevent her rulings from being overturned and improperly providing confidential documents to her brother, a juvenile court employee facing termination.

The accusations against Hunter resulted in a lengthy legal battle. A jury convicted Hunter of a single count of having an "unlawful interest in a public contract," relating to her provision of confidential documents to her brother. The jury could not reach a verdict on the other eight counts, and those charges were later dropped.

As a result of her conviction, Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail and was allowed to remain out of jail while pursuing appeals. In 2019, a judge ruled that her sentence must be served, and she ended up spending 75 days in jail. Additionally, she paid $34,000 in court costs and completed community service.

Throughout this process, Hunter maintained her innocence, claiming that the charges against her were fabricated due to her efforts to expose alleged mishandling of juvenile cases and institute reforms within the juvenile justice system. She has faced criticism for her actions and has been accused of failing to take responsibility for her actions.

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