Attorney: Judge falsely accused of masturbating during hearing settles lawsuit with accuser

OLATHE, Kansas - A Johnson County District Court judge has settled a lawsuit against a woman who falsely-accused him of masturbating during a divorce hearing in 2007, his lawyer said Thursday.

In a written statement, attorney N. Trey Pettlon would not disclose the terms of the settlement between his client, Judge Kevin P. Moriarty, and the one-time accuser, Kimberly Ireland, an Olathe attorney.

In a 2007 judicial complaint, Ireland claimed Moriarty was masturbating underneath his robe during her and her then-husband’s divorce hearing earlier that year.

Kansas state officials found no merit to the 2007 complaint, but Ireland persisted in 2009, filing a federal lawsuit restating the claims and asserting that Moriarty had retaliated against her for lodging the complaint.

Last December, Ireland dropped her lawsuit and issued an apology , through her attorney, to the judge, his family and other Johnson County District Court personnel.

“The divorce action, still pending after two years, has caused Ms. Ireland to suffer heart ailments and extreme anxiety,” Ireland’s attorney wrote in a statement on Dec. 15, 2009. “After further reflection, Ms. Ireland believes her perceptions regarding Judge Moriarty’s conduct and the conduct of other court personnel involved in her divorce action were the product of extreme stress, and she has now determined that her claims were untrue.”

In Thursday’s statement, Pettlon said the accusations against Moriarty “and the resulting media attention were humiliating and caused a great deal of embarrassment and ridicule for Judge Moriarty and his family.”