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The nine-page complaint filed Thursday with the state Supreme Court includes several e-mails between Judge Timothy Blakely and lawyer Christine Stroemer regarding the judge’s nearly $109,000 tab for the divorce that ended in September 2004.
Blakely appointed Stroemer as mediator in several divorce cases before his court between November 2004 and last year. The complaint said that prior to his personal divorce, Blakely had not appointed Stroemer to mediate any divorce actions.
During those three years, Stroemer was sending e-mails asking Blakely to pay his bill, which he was obviously struggling with. On Oct. 19, 2005, Blakely floated the idea of offering a lump sum instead of making installment payments.
Blakely noted, “There is also a very substantial past, and future, benefit to you from significant business referrals we have made, in excess of the compromise we are asking for.”
Stroemer replied two days later that she would consider offering a discount for a lump sum payment. She added, “I certainly appreciate the mediation referrals you have sent my way and hope you continue to do so.”
In his response to the board, Blakely generally admitted to most of the board’s allegations, but regretted he was not more precise in that particular e-mail exchange. He wrote that he was referring to informal referrals he made to friends looking for a lawyer, not mediation appointments from he made from the bench.
He said he regretted not replying to Stroemer’s e-mail “to disabuse her of this hope.”
Stroemer did not return a telephone call left at her office Thursday.
The next step in the case is for the state Supreme Court to appoint a three-person panel, conduct a hearing, then make recommendations back to the judicial standards board.
