U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous has become another blemish on a town that has way too many blemishes already. He’s accused of boozing, gambling and fibbing. His attorneys and some judges say, for the most part, his behavior was limited to his private affairs. Nonetheless, his superiors want him gone.
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By Richard RaineyNew Orleans Times-Picayune NEW ORLEANS — U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous admits he came to depend on alcohol to get through the day and that he was addicted to gambling. He does not deny that he submitted false statements in his personal bankruptcy, on his annual financial disclosure forms and on his application for a bank loan. He concedes that lawyer friends bailed him out of one financial jam after another over the years, even when they had cases pending in his court.
His own attorney said Porteous deserves the public reprimand he received this month from his superiors.
But Porteous now faces the prospect of the ultimate sanction, impeachment and possible removal from office.
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