An Oklahoma judge who was caught scrolling on her phone during the murder trial of a man accused of beating his two-year-old son to death has resigned.
Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom resigned Friday after being investigated for inappropriate and insensitive behavior during a murder trial.
Soderstrom was caught sending more than 500 text messages and browsing Facebook during jury selection, opening statements and testimony at the trial of a man accused of fatally beating his girlfriend’s son.
Khristian Tyler Martzall was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of Braxton Danker.
Lincoln County officials found the boy with injuries all over his body, including broken bones and open wounds.
Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom resigned Friday after being investigated for inappropriate and insensitive behavior during a murder trial.
Soderstrom was caught sending more than 500 text messages and browsing Facebook during jury selection, opening statements and testimony at the trial of a man accused of fatally beating his girlfriend’s son.
Khristian Tyler Martzall was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of Braxton Danker.
Braxton’s mother, Judith Danker, who testified at Martzall’s hearing, accepted a plea deal in 2019 after being charged with murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for permitting or permitting child abuse.
As Danker speaks through tears on the stand, the Lincoln County District Judge can be seen scrolling through her phone.
When Danker reaches for a tissue to wipe his eyes and blow his nose, the judge looks over momentarily before looking back at his phone.
A petition was filed in October citing text messages sent by Soderstrom in which he mocked attorneys, jurors and witnesses.
The filing says Soderstrom demonstrated distaste for state prosecutors and appeared to favor the defendant, even praising the defense attorney.
Allegations against the judge include gross neglect of duty, gross bias in office and oppression in office, the filing states.
“I promised to ensure that the law and procedures applied equally to both plaintiff and defendant,” Soderstrom said in the resignation statement released by his attorney.
‘Despite the resistance I encountered at almost every moment, I think I have achieved it. However, as a human being, I have also failed.’
The Board found that Sonderstrom and the courtroom bailiff engaged in a text message conversation throughout the trial, mocking a prosecutor’s appearance and praising a defense attorney’s comments.
Some of the inappropriate texts said the district attorney was “sweating through his coat.”
Another text said ‘why does he have baby hands? …They look so strange.’
The boy was found by Lincoln County officials with injuries all over his body, including broken bones and open wounds.
Judith Danker (pictured) accepted a plea deal in 2019 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for permitting or permitting child abuse.
In text messages praising the defense attorney, Sordstrom said, “She’s amazing” and even asked, “Can I applaud her?”
Sordstrom horribly called one of the videos played by the witness “boring” and speculated that a juror was wearing a wig.
He said in a text that due to the lack of DNA evidence “there would be no way they would be guilty of murder.”
Sordstrom did not admit any wrongdoing and issued a statement saying he intended to take the allegations to trial, but changed his mind.
“My core beliefs and the variables that served me well as a lawyer (honesty, preparation, principles and passion) are best used as an advocate and not an arbitrator,” she wrote.
‘The actions necessary to disseminate information and to hold each person and elected official accountable for their actions require more than a trial before the Judiciary.’
Sordstrom agreed not to seek another judicial position in Oklahoma.