Delaware Chief Justice Defends Racy E-Mail Video
Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron Steele is apologizing to anyone who was offended by a racy video he sent to 38 male acquaintances using his state e-mail account.
The video shows two women competing for a man’s attentions by simulating oral sex with a wine bottle, according to the Delaware News Journal. Steele forwarded it with the message, “Write your own caption for this one.”
Steele told the newspaper that he viewed the attachment as a harmless joke and he did not think it violated ethics rules requiring judges to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Most of those who received the e-mail were former clerks, he said, but some of the recipients also included lawyers, a judge and a businessman.
“I apologize to anyone who might have seen it who might be offended,” Steele told the publication. “All the ones who know me know there’s nothing behind this. They know my character and history and that this was just a frivolous joke. Probably, in retrospect, I wouldn’t send it again.”
Wilmington lawyer Mike Kelly told the publication that the e-mail is an old European television commercial. “Anyone can pull it up in 10 seconds on YouTube,” Kelly said.
