Baton Rouge - The La. Supreme Court has removed Judge Joan Benge from the bench almost a decade after a court ruling that was possibly swayed by former Judge Ronald Bodenheimer, who served time in prison as the result of a federal corruption sting.
Benge's removal is effective immediately and she will not be allowed to run for another judicial office for five years.
Benge was caught on tape during a phone conversation asking Bodenheimer about a civil case involving a political ally. The court believed that Bodenheimer influenced Benge's judgment to favor their acquaintance.
