Judge who left bench in Kentucky amid misconduct charges now works in K.C.

A former eastern Kentucky judge who resigned amid misconduct charges earlier this year is now serving as an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration in Kansas City, Mo., an official said.

Judge Douglas Combs Jr. was facing misconduct charges before the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission when he resigned from the bench in Perry County in April.

The charges against Combs included allegations that he used court personnel in his private business, accepted a Las Vegas trip from an attorney who practices in his court, failed to assign trial dates and canceled or continued trial dates for “insubstantial” reasons, and frequently had a staff member hear arguments from attorneys rather than hear them himself.

John Garlinger, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration in Kansas City, confirmed Wednesday that Combs has been hired as an administrative law judge. Combs accepted the position in April.

Even though charges were dropped when Combs resigned, he still was publicly reprimanded by the Judicial Conduct Commission.

Combs, through his attorney, William Johnson of Frankfort, has steadfastly denied the accusations made against him.

Combs was suspended with pay eight months after the commission began an investigation in April 2003.

If the charges had been substantiated, Combs would have been permanently removed from the bench, said Stephen D. Wolnitzek, chairman of the Judicial Conduct Commission.

Because Combs resigned, Wolnitzek said a public reprimand was the most severe sanction the commission could impose. That reprimand was imposed unanimously.