ALBUQUERQUE, July 20 (UPI) -- A New Mexico judge was free on bail Wednesday after being charged with sexual misconduct.
Pat Murdoch, the chief criminal judge in the 2nd judicial district in Albuquerque, was released just after midnight after posting a $50,000 bond, KRQE-TV reported. He had been behind bars for several hours, but officials said he was kept away from other prisoners for his own safety.
A state trooper allegedly purchased a videotape from a prostitute that showed the judge having sex with her in his bedroom. At one point, he allegedly performed a sex act she had refused, leading to a sexual assault charge.
The cases on Murdoch's calendar for Wednesday were postponed, a court official said. He was scheduled to appear before a municipal judge Thursday, but Janet Blair, a spokeswoman for the Metro Court said that might be canceled if the judge recuses herself.
