Ex-Federal Judge Jack Camp is hoping to stay out of prison, hoping a judge considers his sentencing memorandum that focuses on his mental health and problems in life on March 11.
In a memo filed in federal court in Atlanta on Friday, Camp’s attorney William Taylor of Washington writes that Camp has suffered from acute depression, brain-damaging from a bicycle accident and personal family tragedy that may have contributed to him getting busted for buying cocaine for a stripper he was having an affair with.
“They do not excuse his conduct,” his attorney wrote.” They do help explain, however, how in May of 2010 a lonely man in the twilight of his life became entangled with a seductive prostitute more than willing to take advantage of his needs and of his misguided impulse to be her friend and protector.”
The memo notes that Camp entered a psychiatric hospital after his arrest last year. The physician in charge of his evaluation and treatment, Dr. Miles Quaytman talked to the probation office.
“In brief, since he sought pyschiatric care in 1999, Mr. Camp had been treated with standard antidepressant medications when his conditions actually involved a mood cycling or bipolar disorder,” the sentencing memorandum said. “Mood cycling disorders have both depressive and manic phases. Characteristic features of the manic phase are the excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have high potential for painful consequences and impairment of judgment about those consequences. Mr. Camp’s recent conduct is certainly consistent with that characterization.”
On Nov. 19, Camp, who was on senior status, pleaded guilty to aiding a felon in possessing illegal drugs, possessing illegal drugs and giving his government issued lap top to the stripper he was having an affair with. He has resigned as a federal judge, which is lifetime presidential appointment. Camp bought drugs for the stripper, who was cooperating with authorities.
The papers also noted that Dr. Qaytman found that Camp suffered serious head injury in a bicycling accident in 2000 and he has no memory of that.
“In addition to his mood cycling disorder and the physical damage to the brain, Mr. Camp has faced a number of difficult and stressful personal challenges,” the sentencing memorandum said.
Plus, he had prostrate cancer, his mother has dementia and his sister has stage four colon cancer.
The document asked that he be sentenced to probation and community service.
“No one can assess precisely how these features of his personal mental health and the sorrows and stress of his life interacted,” the filing said.
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