TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson City Council reappointed a city magistrate that a review commission recommended not to reappoint.
The council voted to reappoint Geraldine Hale Tuesday, a city spokesperson confirmed to KGUN9.
In its report to the city council, the commission contended that Hale was unfit to serve.
An excerpt:
Judge Hale is known to bully certain attorneys that she doesn’t like. She berates and insults them publicly, and there is no rhyme or reason to it. Her targets include public defenders and prosecutors alike.
No one wants to say anything because we are scared of her, and we are afraid she will retaliate against us.
Judge Hale frequently leaves the bench early. During one such incident, she instructed the assigned prosecutor to issue bench warrants for all the remaining defendants on the calendar for failing to appear, yet several were present in the courtroom.
The prosecutor informed the judge of this, but she ignored him and left the bench anyway. - Judge Hale rushes through initial appearances at the jail and often leaves the bench while there are still pending motions from prosecutors as well as defense attorneys, and before the clients can be asked if they are invoking their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and Sixth Amendment right to have counsel present during questioning by law enforcement. No other magistrate does this.
