The Appearance of Impropriety

From today's Dooley Noted:

When former federal judge Jesse Eschbach died Tuesday, a flood of memories washed over those who had dealt with the highly respected jurist during the 38 years he spent on the bench.

One of those involved two former Fort Wayne newspaper reporters and the extent to which the judge would go to be fair with the media.

The reporters – Nancy Laughlin and the late Jerry Shackelford, both of The Journal Gazette – were in the federal building one day covering a proceeding in Eschbach’s court. A short time after it concluded, they made their way down the hall to the elevator and waited to go to the first floor.

After a few moments, the elevator stopped at their floor and the doors slid open. Standing inside, by himself, was the judge. To the surprise of the reporters, Eschbach stepped out of the car and told them to take his place.

Shackelford remembered Eschbach pulling him aside a few days later when he ran into the judge outside the building. “I don’t want you to think I don’t like reporters,” said Eschbach, who had a reputation as the sort who was always ready to discuss a point of law or legal process with reporters as long as it didn’t involve a particular case. “I just don’t want anyone to think I was singling you out for special treatment."