Case filed against common pleas judge

FREMONT — A branch of the Ohio Supreme Court is pursuing sanctions against a Sandusky County judge who has been accused of inappropriate behavior in his office. The court's office of disciplinary counsel is seeking to cite Sandusky County Common Pleas Judge Jon Ickes for the following violations: • Harassment of a pregnant employee • Fostering an inappropriate and unprofessional work environment • Use of a racial slur • Lewd and vulgar characterizations of a child-rape case • Conduct that adversely reflects on the fitness to practice law The investigation into Ickes began after numerous allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior were made against him and courthouse bailiff Candice Talbot. Following the allegations, Ickes paid for Ohio law firm Clemans Nelson & Associates to complete an investigation. Ickes would later release two separate two-page reports: one covering the investigation into Talbot and the other for himself. According to the Clemans Nelson report, allegations against the judge include that he: • Made inappropriate comments regarding a pregnant woman's body, including comments about the "butt fairy" and made a similar remark about the woman's breasts; Talbot was also allegedly involved in the conversation and allegedly made inappropriate remarks relating to the woman's pregnancy. • Showed other women in his office photos that he would take of women in bikinis and skirts • Stated comments to male staff members about going to a female defendant's place of work, a massage parlor and strip club, as a group on various occasions • Referred to a male human resources employee by a derogatory nickname • Ate, on multiple occasions, off the plate of a female employee despite being asked multiple times not to do so • Commented that he needed a 20-year-old girlfriend and that his wife wouldn't mind • Called the social media platform Snapchat as "Snatchchat" during court proceedings • Spoke about a young female attorney and the way she sat in her chair as "sexy" • Exposed his calf to a female employee on multiple occasions and would proceed to rub lotion on it while looking directly at her with his mouth open and moaning • Described a county court case involving infant rape as the "baby (expletive) sucking case." Talbot also allegedly made the same remark. • Quoted a line from a movie that contained a racial slur, which allegedly happened in view of a defendant Interviewed witnesses often described Ickes' office as "inappropriate," "unique" and "relaxed," according to the law firm's report. Ickes previously told the Register that he is following the law firm's recommendations highlighted in his report but never specified what those recommendations are. Those allegations were reasserted in the filing by the disciplinary counsel. Other new claims were made by the disciplinary counsel: • Ickes kept a firearm in a drawer in his chambers and often showed it to visitors. • Ickes also keeps a Nerf gun in his office and, on one occasion, shot it at a relative of a county employee during a criminal court proceeding. • Ickes and other court employees were texting each other during courtroom proceedings in a child sex abuse case. Both the judge and other employees, according to excerpts of text message threads provided in the disciplinary counsel's report, appear to be making lewd and crass commentary on what they were hearing during trial testimony, which included sexually suggestive photographs and emojis. The disciplinary council filed the complaint against Ickes, who remains serving as an active judge, with the Board of Professional Conduct, an arm of the state's Supreme Court, on Monday. Ickes, through his attornies, had not responded to the disciplinary counsel's complaint by midday Tuesday. It's not known what disciplinary actions could be taken against Ickes if the board finds him in violation.