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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday that he has opened a misconduct inquiry into a judge accused of inappropriate sexual conduct and comments by six women.
Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas issued the order based on allegations against Judge Alex Kozinski in a Dec. 8 Washington Post article.
The women were clerks and others at the largest federal appeals court in the country. Kozinski is a prominent judge, serving as chief judge of the 9th Circuit from 2007 to 2014.
He is known for his irreverent opinions and his clerks often win prestigious clerkships at the Supreme Court.
Heidi Bond, who clerked for the Pasadena, California-based judge from 2006 to 2007, recalled three instances in which she said the judge asked her to look at images of naked people.
Kozinski told the Los Angeles Times he did not recall showing pornographic images to others. A message left for Kozinski with the 9th Circuit seeking comment Thursday was not immediately returned.
A spokesman for the court, David Madden, also confirmed "that one or more of Judge Kozinski's current law clerks has resigned" but declined to elaborate.
The inquiry will be conducted by a different U.S. circuit court.
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