A Puyallup judge who had misconduct charges prepared against him by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct has reached an agreement with the commission.
Judge Stephen R. Shelton was accused of improperly holding a purported domestic violence victim in contempt of court and having her jailed overnight.
Now his June 20 fact-finding hearing has been canceled. The terms of the agreement, including the discipline he will receive, won’t be made public until the July 8 commission meeting, said Reiko Callner, executive director.
Under commission rules, a judge can stipulate to “any or all of the allegations or charges in exchange for a stated discipline,” which can range from an admonishment to censure.
Shelton has presided in Puyallup Municipal Court since 1994. He was elected to a four-year term in November 2009.
His Seattle-based attorney, Anne Bremner, said the agreement is a way for him to put the matter behind him and acknowledge there are things he learned. She said he’s a thoughtful and careful judge.
“He’s extremely dedicated and extremely well-thought of – someone I think the community can be very proud of,” Bremner said.
Shelton has nearly 30 years’ experience as a deputy prosecutor, city attorney and judge.
The commission found in December that there was probable cause to believe he violated the judicial conduct code in September 2009 during an arraignment hearing for a domestic violence case.
The defendant was accused of verbally threatening his girlfriend. Before the hearing, the girlfriend recanted, and when she asked to address the court, Shelton wouldn’t let her and summoned a bailiff, a commission document said. He said he was holding her in contempt and imposing a day of jail because she recanted, it said.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.