9th Circuit opens sexual misconduct inquiry into famed judge

Alex Kozinski, U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Photo By Joi – Judge Alex Kozinski, CC BY-SA 2.0)

SAN FRANCISCO — The chief judge of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has opened a misconduct inquiry into a judge accused by six women of inappropriate sexual conduct and comments.

Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas issued the order Thursday based on allegations against Judge Alex Kozinski in a Dec.

8 Washington Post article.

The women were clerks or externs at the largest federal appeals court in the country.

Heidi Bond, who clerked for the Pasadena, California-based judge from 2006 to 2007, recalled three instances in which she said the judge asked her to look at images of naked people.

Kozinski told the Los Angeles Times he did not recall showing pornographic images to others.

A message left for Kozinski with the 9th circuit seeking comment was not immediately returned.