Judicial panel censures former judge Mark Fuller for 8 counts of domestic abuse, perjury

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A panel of judicial investigators released Wednesday a summary of their report on former U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller to Congress, hoping it would serve as a censure of his “reprehensible conduct.”

The “certification” presented is part of the Circuit Judicial Council’s process to “identify and investigate allegations of misconduct by judges.”

Judge Fuller, who was appointed to the federal bench in Alabama’s Middle District in 2002, was arrested in the early morning hours of August 10, 2014 after his wife called 911 and told the dispatcher “he’s beating me… please help me.” According to the subsequent police report, Fuller’s wife had lacerations to her forehead and mouth, which she said she received from Fuller throwing her to the ground, pulling her hair and kicking her after she confronted him about and alleged affair.

On August 1st, 2015, Fuller made official his resignation from the bench.

The Judicial Conference, however, decided to send the report to the U.S. House of Representatives to let them decide whether or not to impeach the disgraced judge.

The summary, delivered to U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), describes the Council’s findings.

(a) Judge Fuller physically abused Kelli Fuller at least eight times, both before and after they married, which included and culminated in the assault that took place on August 9, 2014, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

(b) Judge Fuller made repeated statements under oath before the Special Committee that he never, at any time, hit, kicked, or punched Kelli Fuller, which were false and material under 18 U.S.C § 1621.

(c) Judge Fuller made false statements to the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit in late September 2010 in a way that caused a massive disruption in the District Court’s operation and loss of public confidence with the actions outline in (a) and (b), contributed to the overall determination that Judge Fuller’s conduct may constitute grounds for impeachment.

(d) The conduct described (a)-(c) has individually and collectively brought disrepute to the federal judiciary.

Perhaps best known for presiding over former Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman’s corruption trial, Fuller, whose George W. Bush appointment was supported by Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL), had very few allies in either party after the domestic violence allegations surfaced.

According to police reports filed after the fateful August 9th police call, Mrs. Fuller “stated when she confronted him about their issues, he pulled her to the ground and kicked her… (The victim) also stated she was dragged around the room and Fuller hit her in the mouth several times with his hands.”

The report also detailed lacerations to her mouth and forehead.

His lawyer, using a law for first time offenders, worked out a deal with prosecutors that provided for his record to be expunged if he participated in weekly group counseling sessions for six months.