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Sex charges dropped against southwestern Illinois judge

Posted July 09, 2018 7:00 am

The Associated Press

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - Charges have been dropped against a southwestern Illinois judge who was accused of grabbing a client's genitals in 2016 when he was a lawyer in private practice.

St. Clair County Judge Ronald Duebbert also was accused of offering to cut the man's legal bill by $100 in exchange for sex. Two felonies and two misdemeanors were dropped Friday after a prosecutor said the man didn't want the discomfort of testifying in public.

Duebbert had denied the allegations. His attorney, Scott Rosenblum, claims the charges were influenced by politics.

Prosecutor Lorinda Lampkin says she received a text message from the man's lawyer who says the man "may have embellished" what happened.

Duebbert was elected judge in 2016 but has been on leave for more than 18 months.

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