The Tucson City Council voted 6-0 to accept the resignation of City Court Magistrate Ted Abrams in the wake of an investigative report that confirmed accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation against a city public defender.
Abrams, who has been a city magistrate since 2002, will resign effective Feb 2. He was facing termination by the council in light of the findings.
Abrams, who made about $105,000 annually, was put on leave in late October.
The Pima County Superior Court, which conducted the investigation, found the public defender was subjected to "unwanted and unsolicited contact of a sexual nature."
Abrams made "implicit and explicit comments, particularly via cell phone voice and text messages." The comments include inappropriate anatomical references.
The report said although Abrams was not a direct supervisor, he was in a position to "affect the terms and conditions of her employment and provide input for her evaluations."
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The report said Abrams' attorney, Michael Storie, told investigators the public defender did not necessarily object to the sexual comments and said Abrams stopped when she asked him to.
However, the report said the evidence does not support that claim. It said there were at least nine text messages when the employee asked Abrams to stop asking her out and that his comments were inappropriate.
In addition, it said at least two other female employees testified they have been subject to similar treatment by Abrams. One of the employees provided "e-mail messages that contain sexual comments and innuendoes made by Judge Abrams."
The report said Abrams also engaged in retaliation against the public defender because she appeared in his court after the rejected advances, and he declared a mistrial in her case instead of granting a motion to dismiss. The report said Abrams told the public defender she was not making the request properly.
In the report, Abrams acknowledged his inappropriate behavior, blaming it on a "life-threatening medical problem and surgery occurring approximately three years ago, including both psychological effects and opiate addiction."
He said in an interview late Wednesday that the opiates were prescription painkillers he took as a result of surgery.
Abrams would not discuss the report in detail but said in the 20 years that he has served as a lawyer and judge, he has never before faced any type of disciplinary action.
