Embattled Md. Judge Accused Of Bias

Palumbo Insulted Women, Group Says

A Prince George's judge who has been temporarily removed from the bench amid controversy over a domestic violence case and other issues has exhibited "clear bias" against non-English-speaking women seeking protective orders, even prohibiting one woman from using a translator except with his explicit permission, according to a petition filed yesterday with the Maryland commission that investigates allegations of judicial misconduct.

District Court Judge Richard A. Palumbo told the woman's attorney she could take up the matter with an appellate court, according to the complaint by the House of Ruth Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. The House of Ruth is a 30-year-old organization that advocates for the victims of domestic violence in Maryland.

The petition also alleges that Palumbo made insensitive comments to a partially paralyzed man who was seeking a protective order; that, based on an erroneous legal standard, he rejected people seeking protective orders who were representing themselves; and that he routinely made disparaging comments about women.

Palumbo often told men who appeared before him in domestic abuse cases to leave their female partners and look for a new mate because "women are like buses -- they come by every five minutes," according to the petition.

According to the House of Ruth, the petition was filed late yesterday and asks the Maryland Judicial Disabilities Commission to review its allegations against Palumbo. If it finds wrongdoing by a judge, the commission can recommend penalties ranging from a reprimand to removal from the bench. It would be up to the governor and the legislature or the state Court of Appeals to remove a judge.

Palumbo's attorney, William C. Brennan, said he could not comment because he had not seen the petition.

In the 13-page document, a House of Ruth attorney alleges that at an Aug. 8 hearing, Palumbo "makes clear his assumption that anyone who has moved to a new country and not learned the dominant language is not worthy of credence."

After learning that the woman had been in the country for 15 years, Palumbo, over the objection of the woman's attorney, ordered a translator not to interpret "except when I determine it's proper," according to a partial transcript of the hearing prepared by the House of Ruth.

According to the partial transcript, Palumbo said: "Because you know what it does -- let me tell you what it does. It goes to her credibility.

"If she speaks English as well as you do, or I do, and needs an interpreter, then I have to say that something [unintelligible] questions credibility. This whole case is predicated on credibility. Because he's going to say something else -- I guarantee that," the judge said.

In a separate case, Palumbo told another woman during a hearing Aug. 2 that she could not use an interpreter until he determined she needed one, the petition says.

"We're hoping that Judge Palumbo is either removed from sitting [on the bench] or is able to significantly change how he treats litigants and interprets the law," said Dorothy Lennig, director of the legal clinic at House of Ruth.

Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA of Maryland, a Silver Spring-based nonprofit organization that assists immigrants, said: "When immigrant victims seek the court's protection, they should not be victimized by a judge who doesn't understand their situation. This attitude creates greater distrust of government and the courts, leaving more immigrants vulnerable."

The allegations are the latest to be leveled at Palumbo, who came under scrutiny following reports that he dismissed a protective order obtained by a woman against her estranged husband, who, three weeks later, allegedly doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.

Through his attorney, Palumbo has said the dismissal of the protective order was a clerical error, but the chief administrative district court judge in Prince George's has disagreed.

On Oct. 26, the state's chief district court judge temporarily removed Palumbo from the bench and reassigned him to administrative duties.

The move occurred the same day The Washington Post reported that a Maryland State Police trooper deviated from official procedure by writing "VOID" across a speeding ticket he had issued to Palumbo.

In a separate incident, state police said in a report that Palumbo caused a two-car accident in Charles County but that he was not issued a citation.