Seattle Municipal Judge Arrested In Shoplifting -- Charge Expected In Theft Of Neckties, Hair Gel
Seattle Municipal Court Judge Stephen R. Schaefer was arrested in the shoplifting of three neckties and hair gel at Nordstrom.
He expects to be charged with third-degree theft in the Nov. 30 incident, his attorney said.
The King County Prosecutor's Office said review of the case should be completed in the next few days. Third-degree theft is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The downtown Nordstrom security report and a Seattle Police report listed the items:
-- Two blue-and-gold designer ties, worth $59.50 each.
-- A gray tie with purple triangles, worth $65.
-- An eight-ounce bottle of hair gel, worth $15.
Attorney Michael Lambo said Schaefer, 62, a judge for 20 years, suffered from stress, forgetfulness and anxiety before the incident.
"Obviously, the judge is quite embarrassed and humiliated and mortified," Lambo said today. He said Schaefer does not remember the incident very well.
"Immediately following his arrest, he went to a doctor and was told to stay off the bench, pending further psychological and neurological testing," Lambo said. "The doctor also stated that he would have required the judge to stay off the bench prior to this incident had he seen the judge prior to that time."
Judith Hightower, presiding judge of the Municipal Court, said Schaefer took a regular annual leave Dec. 2, and then asked for an additional personal leave in late December, giving a reason other than the shoplifting arrest.
"The reason checks out," Hightower said, declining to be more specific, but adding, "I'm concerned. We're all concerned."
Hightower said she met with Schaefer last weekend. "He's doing well," she said.
Court officials did not find out about the shoplifting arrest until weeks after the fact, and then only in a roundabout way.
Acquaintances say Schaefer was devastated when his mother died several years ago. He has never been married and lives alone in a small house above a ravine overlooking Lake Washington.
Yesterday, Schaefer answered a knock at the door and said his attorney would speak for him.
Schaefer was appointed to the bench in January 1977 and is the Municipal Court's senior judge. His current term expires in January 1999. He is paid $81,300 a year.
Schaefer is regularly rated at the bottom of lawyers' polls but was rated "exceptionally well qualified" by the Seattle-King County Bar Association in 1990.
The Seattle city attorney forwarded the case to the Prosecutor's Office to avoid a conflict, because city prosecutors appear in Municipal Court.
Times staff reporter Susan Byrnes contributed to this report.