Accused of displaying nude photos of himself, Philly judge is out

For the second time in a week, a Philadelphia Traffic Court judge has lost his job–this time for allegedly showing nude pictures of himself to another employee.

Court officials aren’t commenting yet, but a knowledgeable source within the court system says traffic court administrative Judge Gary Glazier relieved Judge Willie Singletary of his duties Thursday and had him escorted from the building. The source says that happened after a female government worker complained Singletary had showed her a cell phone picture of his genitals.

The source says Glazier is recommending to the State Supreme Court that Singletary be removed from the bench permanently.

Singletary’s attorney Bill Brennan said in a telephone interview his client was given no reason for his removal. He said he will not address “rumors” about Singletary’s conduct.”I know Judge Singletary,” Brennan said.  “And to the best of my knowledge, he’s always been a gentleman in my dealings with him. And I believe his reputation among his peers is that he’s a nice guy and treats everyone with respect.”

Singletary was elected to the court in 2007, when he owed $11,000 in fines for a variety of traffic offenses. Later he was reprimanded for seeking contributions at a biker rally and suggesting donors would get favorable treatment in court.

Lynn Marks, director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, said such behavior undermines confidence in the judicial system.

“Just think of yourself before Judge Singletary on a traffic violation,” Mark said. “You want to be before a judge who’s really smart, who’s really fair, who’s going to give you a fair shake. You don’t want to be sitting there thinking, ‘Gee, you know, did this judge show nude pictures to a court employee?'”

Earlier this week Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille removed traffic court Judge Michael Sullivan from his administrative position, citing concerns about political influence in court decisions