An Arkansas judge who leaked the news of Charlize Theron’s baby adoption in 2012 has been ordered to leave the bench immediately.
Judge Mike Maggio became the target of an ethics investigation earlier this year after he was named as the source of the leaked details about the actress’ adoption of son Jackson.
He admitted to posting information about the private case in an online chat forum and last month, officials from the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission recommended he should be suspended with pay for the rest of the year, when he will then be formally removed from office.
The suggested punishment was subject to approval by Arkansas Supreme Court chiefs, who agreed with the lifetime ban on Thursday, but instead opted for Maggio’s immediate dismissal.
In the ruling, court officials state, “We deem any further suspension with pay to be inappropriate. Therefore, we order the removal of Judge Maggio from judicial office, effective as the date of this opinion. By this order, Judge Maggio is henceforth prohibited from holding any judicial office in the state of Arkansas.”
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