Newport Beach : Municipal Judge Cleared of Wrongdoing by Panel
Municipal Judge Christopher W. Strople has been cleared of any wrongdoing or misconduct by the California Commission on Judicial Performance, which was investigating him and several other judges in Harbor Municipal Court in Newport Beach, the commission said Wednesday.
Director Jack E. Frankel said the commission completed its investigation of Strople in February and at that time determined not to proceed further. He said the matter is now closed.
Strople said he had no comment.
The Strople matter was an outgrowth of a broad inquiry into allegations that two other Harbor Municipal Court judges, Brian R. Carter, 63, and Calvin P. Schmidt, 59, had given preferential treatment to friends and courtroom favors to prostitutes in exchange for sex. The commission dropped its case against Carter when he retired from the bench in January.
Schmidt is scheduled to appear before a commission hearing in August.
Another Harbor Court judge, Susanne Shaw was cleared of any wrongdoing earlier this month by the commission.
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