A new Oklahoma judge faces the possibility of losing her position due to sending over 500 text messages to her bailiff during a murder trial.

These messages included comments that mocked the prosecutor, praised the defense attorney, and labeled a key witness as dishonest.

In a court filing on Tuesday, the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recommended the removal of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom.

This recommendation followed an investigation by the state’s Council on Judicial Complaints, the Associated Press reported.

Judge Soderstrom has been under scrutiny since July when she was captured on camera scrolling through social media and texting during the trial of a man accused of fatally beating a 2-year-old.

Soderstrom, who was sworn in on January 9 after her election in November, was placed on suspension with pay while awaiting the outcome of a hearing by the Court on the Judiciary.

This hearing will determine whether she should be removed from her judicial position.

It is worth noting that the judge’s four-year term is set to conclude in January 2027.

Written by staff