Judge Wade McCree censured after sending nearly nude photo - Fox 2 News Headlines

By Charlie LeDuff
FOX 2 News Reporter

DETROIT -- Third Circuit Court Judge Wade McCree sent a naked picture of himself to a female court bailiff.  Apparently she didn't mind, but her husband did, so he gave it to us and we gave it to you and now the Michigan Supreme Court has given it back to Judge McCree, publicly censuring him Wednesday for judicial misconduct.

"It's very rare for a judge to get a slap on the wrist like this unless the judge did something really bad on the bench.  So for the Supreme Court to look at this, to review this, and for the judge to agree with it, it's pretty bad," said FOX 2 legal analyst Charlie Langton.

"A judge has to set the example for others to follow.  I mean, judges are held to a higher standard.  There's integrity in the system of being a judge and this guy didn't do it."

Judge McCree wouldn't come out of his chambers for an interview, but here are a few of the court's findings.  During an interview with yours truly, McCree "conducted himself in a flippant manner and did not give the interview the seriousness he should have.  As a result, he brought shame and obloquy to the judiciary.  For example, when discussing the digital image of himself, he said, 'There is no shame in my game.'"

Click on the second video in the player above to watch Charlie LeDuff's original report.

The Supreme Court also found that the interview and the digital image spread rapidly around the internet and became the subject of jokes and ridicule.

McCree's lawyer told me that, in the end, the judge was guilty of giving a bad interview, that McCree should have acted "more judgey".

The Supreme Court also wrote in its decision that McCree's female bailiff kept his naked picture as motivation to remind her to exercise and eat right.  I spoke to the female bailiff's husband and he says all it did was wreck their marriage.