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Timothy Dooley
Timothy "Tim" Daniel Dooley is a former judge for the Nome Superior Court in Nome, Alaska. Dooley was appointed to the court on March 5, 2013, by former Republican Governor Sean Parnell.[1] He did not run for retention in 2016, and therefore left office on February 8, 2017.[2]
Education
Dooley earned his B.A. in history from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1976. Two years later he received his M.A.T. in history and A.A. in mining and petroleum technology from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In 1981, Dooley received his J.D. from the St. Mary's Law School.[1]
Career
- 2013-2017: Judge, Nome Superior Court
- 1993-2013: Attorney/owner, Law Office of Tim Dooley
- 1990-1991: Attorney, Tinsman & Houser
- 1980-1981: Intern, U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of Texas
- 1979: Law clerk, State of Alaska, Attorney General's Office[1]
Noteworthy events
Judicial misconduct allegations
On May 26, 2015, the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct filed a formal complaint against Dooley for violating the Alaska Code of Judicial Conduct.[3] Specifically, the complaint cited comments Dooley made while on the bench, which "indicated insensitivity to the victims and witnesses in criminal matters and insensitivity to unrepresented parties in civil matters."[4] The complaint listed a number of Dooley's comments made during court proceedings. During the sentencing in one criminal case, Dooley stated: "Has anything good ever come out of drinking other than sex with a pretty girl?" In another case, while addressing the jury, which had a hard time hearing a witness, Dooley stated: "I'm sorry folks, but I can't slap her around to make her talk louder." During the sentencing in another case involving a 14-year-old female victim, Dooley opined: "This was not someone who was, and I hate to use the phrase, 'asking for it'. There are girls out there that seem to be temptresses. And this does not seem to be anything like that."[4]
Formal response
Dooley issued a formal response in June 2015 acknowledging that he made the statements listed in the complaint, but denying that he "engaged in a pattern of conduct that violates A.S. 22.30.0l 1 l(a)(3)(C), (D), and (E) and Canons 1, 2A, 3B(2)(a), 3B(3), 3B(4) and 3B(5) of the Alaska Code of Judicial Conduct." He requested that the complaint be denied entirely, and that the hearing be held in Nome. He also requested that the hearing be held in front of an impartial tribunal because the "panel which was proffered the charges against him is no longer qualified to act as an impartial tribunal due to its status as the panel which held the probable cause determination."[5] The commission, however, ordered a hearing for December 2015 in Anchorage.[6]
The full complaint and response can be read here.
Public censure recommended
On December 10, 2015, the Alaska Committee of Judicial Conduct recommended Dooley be censured for making inappropriate statements to victims and witnesses. The superior court judge withdrew his previous denial of misconduct charges.[7][8]
Dooley said:
| “ | Those are my statements. I don’t dispute them. I probably caused grief for some victim, perhaps. I’m also regretful that I caused trouble for the staff at the Nome court. They don’t deserve to have a judge who goes off the high dive and lands on the rocks.[7][9] | ” |
The commission recommended Dooley be assigned a mentor judge for one year as well as cultural sensitivity and domestic violence training. Those recommendations were sent to Alaska Supreme Court for a final decision.[7]
Supreme court ruling
On August 15, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Dooley be publicly censured for violating the code of judicial conduct. Censure, a public statement explaining the individual's wrongdoing, is the least severe punishment a judge in Alaska can receive for judicial misconduct. Since Dooley retired in February 2017, the court did not order him to work with a mentor judge, as recommended by the commission.[10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Timothy Dooley Alaska judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- The Alaska Court System, "Trial Courts Information"
- The Associated Press, "Timothy Dooley Appointed to Nome Superior Court," March 6, 2013
- Alaska Judicial Council, "Timothy Dooley's 2012 Application for Judicial Appointment"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Alaska Judicial Council, "Timothy Dooley's 2012 Application for Judicial Appointment," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ The Nome Nugget, "Judge Dooley disciplined with censure by Alaska Supreme Court," August 18, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Dispatch News, "Nome judge faces hearing over alleged ethics violations," May 26, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, "In the matter of Timothy D. Dooley," May 26, 2015
- ↑ Alaska Commission of Judicial Conduct, "In the matter of Timothy Dooley," accessed July 6, 2015
- ↑ KTUU.com, "Nome Judge responds to accusations of misconduct, denies wrongdoing," July 3, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Alaska Public Media, "Nome judge recommended for public censure," December 15, 2015
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Censure is recommended for apologetic judge who remarked on 'temptresses' who are 'asking for it'," December 14, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alaska Dispatch News, "Nome judge disciplined for 'undignified and discourteous' comments in court," August 15, 2016
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska
State courts:
Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court
State resources:
Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska
