RICHMOND, Va. — Former Richmond Circuit Court Judge Reilly Marchant admitted to "improper" behavior in trying to establish a social relationship with two female attorneys who had cases before him, according to an agreement between Marchant and the Virginia Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission (JIRC).
Marchant retired in June. An attorney representing him said his decision to retire had nothing to do with the women’s claims.
One month before Marchant ruled in favor of a second casino vote in Richmond in August of 2023, a female attorney who actively appeared before him in court alleges that Marchant told her “if she wore a dress in his court, he would be too distracted to focus on the case.”
The woman said Marchant also messaged her on Dec. 27 last year asserting a desire to come by her home to say “Merry Christmas” and catch up.
In doing so, the judge inquired whether this request had been too forward, per the agreement.
Around the same time, Marchant is accused of telling a second female attorney who appeared before him in court “I love you.”
That lawyer claims Marchant also solicited hugs from her, would text her that she looked great, and once attempted to kiss her in his car after the pair got lunch together.
These claims are according to the agreement between Marchant and JIRC, the branch of Virginia’s judicial system that investigates charges of judicial misconduct.
The commission concluded that Marchant’s conduct breached two judicial rules.
The first concerns the need for a judge to govern his or her public and private conduct to ensure the greatest public confidence in the judge’s impartiality and integrity.
The second regards the need to refrain from speech, gestures, or other conduct that could reasonably be perceived as sexual harassment.
Per the agreement, Marchant offered sworn testimony where he acknowledged his effort to obtain a social relationship with these individuals, as a sitting judge who presided over their cases, was improper.
He further conceded that, with the benefit of hindsight, he now recognized that there existed an unbalanced power dynamic between himself as a judge and these individuals who appeared before him, such that they could not reasonably refuse his efforts to pursue a social relationship with him.
Marchant expressly denied telling the first attorney that he would be too distracted if she wore a dress in court.
He also denied telling the second attorney that he loved her, and he refuted the claim of the attempted kiss.
CBS 6 reached out to Marchant. His attorney, Dave Lacy with Christian & Barton, shared the following statement from the retired judge:
"I did my best as judge for the City of Richmond for the nine-and-a-half years I served, and I think most people who kept up with it would say I did a pretty good job. If I got too close, platonically, to a couple of attorneys with whom I tried many difficult cases over a nine-year period, then that’s on me. Further, if I ever unknowingly and unintentionally did or said anything to make them feel uncomfortable, then I apologize to them. But never were any of my judicial decisions compromised or partial in any way, nor has or could anyone credibly say otherwise.”
As part of the agreement, Marchant agreed to not accept future appointments as a judge. In exchange, the commission declined to proceed with a formal hearing.
You can read the full agreement here.
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