Russell Kegley Suspended

Russell D. Kegley, a judge on the Portsmouth Municipal Court in Ohio, was given a six-month stayed suspension by the Ohio Supreme Court after violating his own court's policy to secure his son's release from jail. In May 2023, Kegley's son was arrested on domestic violence and resisting-arrest charges after police found his wife with facial injuries, a bloody nose, and a busted lip. Kegley called the jail, identified himself as "Judge Kegley," and directed officers to let his son sign his own bond and go home -- despite a court policy requiring domestic violence suspects to remain in custody until their first court appearance. The Board of Professional Conduct had recommended only a public reprimand, but the Ohio Supreme Court found that sanction too lenient, ruling that Kegley's conduct showed a "disregard of the personal safety of his daughter-in-law who had been the victim of domestic violence." Kegley was found to have committed four ethics violations and was ordered to pay the costs of the disciplinary proceedings.