Judge Emily Dean of Ft. Madison, IA; serial drunk

The state of Iowa presented Emily Dean with a law license in 1989 after she graduated from the University of Tulsa Law School.

In 2006, former Gov. Tom Vilsack was duped into appointing Emily as a District Court judge in Fort Madison. Emily didn’t receive the appointment because she was the most qualified attorney in the area. She received it because she had proven to be a reliable lackey for the local political hacks.

The Iowa Commission on Judicial Qualifications found Judge Dean guilty of the following misconduct.

Emily the Lush was charged with multiple incidents related to her alcoholism, which included an instance wherein she spent a weekend with family members where no alcohol was available that caused her to have a seizure due to withdrawal.

In another instance, Emily acted strangely in court asking the lawyers and others appearing before her: “Why are you all here?”

Another instance included an episode where she pressed the panic button on the bench even though there was no emergency. She defended her conduct by laughingly claiming she was wanted to “test it” (panic button).

In yet another instance, a member of the public reported witnessing Emily driving while under the influence and urinating in the street.

As a consequence of her misconduct, the Patron Saints for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Iowa Supreme Court punished Emily the Lush by gifting her with a 30-day suspension from her judicial position.

As we speak (ca. Nov 11, 2014), Emily the Lush is sitting as a Lee County District Court judge in Fort Madison, Iowa.