As a trial regarding the murder of a toddler unfolded before her, an Oklahoma judge allegedly scrolled through social media on her cell phone, according to multiple reports.
Video of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom, 50, apparently scrolling on her phone was recently published in The Oklahoman.
“After receiving a tip from courthouse personnel, I reviewed surveillance video from above the Judge’s bench and can confirm that the Judge spent hours of the trial on her cell phone both texting and scrolling through social media,” said a statement District Attorney Adam R. Panter released, according to KOCO News 5.
Soderstrom is now under investigation by the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints, the outlet reported.
According to her website, Soderstrom joined the Oklahoma National Guard at 17, before embarking on her legal career. She was elected to a four-year term as district judge for Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties last year.
“In her nearly two decades of legal experience, Traci has represented the most vulnerable in our communities,” said the site. “Compassion is at the forefront of Traci’s work with the clients of her legal practice because she understands it’s sometimes what they need most.”
She was presiding over the trial of Khristian Tyler Martzall in the 2018 death of 2-year-old Braxton Danker. Prosecutors had asked jurors to find Martzall guilty of first-degree murder and the trial ended in a second-degree manslaughter conviction, according to ABC News. Previously, Oklahoma’s News 4 reported that the child’s mother, Judith Cheyann Danker, was also arrested and News 9 reported that she took a plea deal in 2019.
It is not uncommon for judges to use their phones or check their email during a trial, former judge and current attorney Tracy Schumacher told KOCO News 5.
“They are utilized not only by judges but the lawyers in coordinating witnesses, facilitating the movement of other cases and checking with staff,” she said. “Unfortunately, the footage shows the judge using the cellphone for a different purpose.”
Schumacher said this incident may be a “bump in the road” for Soderstrom as she transitions from private practice to the bench, but not something that can prevent her from continuing her judicial career.
In his statement, Panter said that Soderstrom’s conduct was “both shocking and disappointing,” since jurors are banned from using cell phones in the courtroom, and especially since the case was related to a potential life sentence.
“We expect them to give their full time and attention to the evidence being presented,” he explained. “I would expect and hope the Court would hold itself to the same standard required of the jurors, regardless of the type of case.”
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