Judge Stout withdraws from consideration for interim position

Perry Stout, whose resignation as Johnson County's General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge will go into effect on July 8, 2023, withdrew his name from consideration as the interim successor for his position.A letter from the Board of Judicial Conduct "to provide context for the Commissioners to help them make an informed decision regarding Mr. Stout's intent to either be reinstated or appointed as the interim successor for his position was sent to the Johnson County Mayor's office."Stout was also provided a copy of the letter from the "Board," so he was aware of what had been communicated to the Commissioners," said Sheila Caldwell, Executive Assistant to the Mayor. "Upon receipt of this letter and, after careful reflection, he (Stout) informed the Mayor that he decided to withdraw his name from consideration on Tuesday, June 27," Caldwell said. As expressed in the above-mentioned letter, the Board of Judicial Conduct took offense to Stout's comments and what the board called "incomplete and misleading representation to the commission."In part, the letter stated that staying silent "may be detrimental to the public interest, bring the judiciary into public disrepute and adversely affect the administration of justice, the Board is compelled to address the matter."The lengthy letter touched on a number of statements in Stout's resignation to the commission, including his remark that he was resigning to give the "Board its pound of flesh," to which the Board replied, "This statement reveals that Judge Stout is either oblivious to the harm he has caused or lacks a basic understanding of the ethical and professional responsibilities of serving as a judge," the letter read.Stout's speech, conduct, and behavior that the Board of Judicial Conduct found offensive prompted the board to write, "At its most basic and fundamental level, a judge's role includes conducting himself or herself both personally and professionally in a way that demonstrates integrity, sound judgment, and discretion, thereby instilling public confidence in the court system and the rule of law. Judge Stout's multifaceted misconduct has done just the opposite," the letter read.In the letter to the county commission, the Board concluded that it has no desire to involve itself in local political matters that will be addressed by Johnson County and its citizens but stated that was it not "for Judge Stout's incomplete and misleading statement to the Commission both in person and in writing, this letter would not have been written," the letter read. "We are still in the process of accepting and vetting qualified applicants for consideration," Caldwell said, adding that "Much like the appointment of the interim successor for Mr. Campbell, the nomination for the judge position must come from a Commissioner."Caldwell explained that the list of applicants requesting consideration could evolve until the July 10th meeting but emphasized that "Since Mr. Stout has formally withdrawn his name from consideration, he will not be presented to the Commissioners at the Special Called Meeting."The Tomahawk has reached out to Judge Perry Stout for a comment regarding this new development but has not heard back by the time of publishing this edition. The Tomahawk will continue its coverage of this story, including the upcoming results of the appointment of an interim judge during the commission's meeting on Monday, July 10, 2023, and as more information becomes available.