State Rep. Announces Bill To Prohibit Relationships Between Judges And Attorneys

UPDATE: Rep. Lowe's Tuesday news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. has been canceled.

Democratic Rep. Jason Lowe announced his bill to make it illegal for a judge to have a sexual relationship with an attorney presenting a case in their courtroom.

The bill is called the Judge Timothy Henderson Act.

Currently, the OSBI is investigating sexual misconduct allegations against Henderson from female state prosecutors.

He has now resigned as an Oklahoma County District Judge.

One of Henderson's alleged victims was the lead prosecutor for convicted drug dealer, Aaron Fort.

She said Henderson sexually abused her until March of last year, but the former judge argues the relationship was consensual and they never discussed Fort's trial outside the courtroom.

Fort's attorneys are now arguing because of that alleged relationship, Fort didn't get a fair trial and should get a new one.

State Representative Jason Lowe said Oklahomans have an expectation on how public servants should act, saying the bill he wrote "helps ensure that the decisions being made by a judge are driven by the facts of the case and not a relationship with an attorney."

Lowe's news conference will be Tuesday morning at 11 at the Capitol.

Henderson has not been criminally charged at this point, and a ruling on whether to overturn Fort's trial is expected in about a month.