Joshua Kindred was appointed to the U.S. District Court by Donald Trump in 2020. He had been an environmental lawyer for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association before that. He had also been a lawyer for the Department of the Interior and a prosecutor in Anchorage.
He resigned in July, 2024, after the 9th District’s Judicial Council investigated allegations of inappropriate sexual communications with a prosecutor. Prosecutors with the US Attorney’s Office for Alaska have found more than 40 cases which may have had conflicts of interest and may qualify for retrial. He had received nude photos from a prosecutor, a former law clerk, and exchanged sexual texts with several women. He was also accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
Federal judges have asked Congress to impeach him.
At least one of the defendants convicted in his court has won a new trial due to conflicts of interest.
- Alaska Public Media: Alaska judge’s sexualized relationship with prosecutor leads to new trial for cyberstalking defendant
- Washington Post: Congress asked to weigh impeaching ex-judge for alleged sexual misconduct
- United States Court for the Ninth Circuit: Judicial Conduct and Disability Complaint Number 22-90121
Anchorage, Alaska · Tuesday, July 09, 2024
