One Oklahoma Judge The man, who has already been convicted of drive-by shootings in two states, will be removed from office for alleged bias toward a special prosecutor and sexual misconduct with his court staff.
Garfield County Associate District Judge Brian Lovell, 58, was charged last September in Travis County, Texas, for allegedly firing at six parked cars at an intersection outside the locally famous Austin Tex-Mex restaurant Juan in a Million. The Enid News and Eagle reported,
He allegedly fled the scene and then struck a woman’s vehicle with his SUV twice, at one point nearly crashing it into oncoming vehicles, and told police the woman “cut him off” in traffic.
In February 2023, Lovell reportedly fired several rounds According to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a man attacked his brother-in-law in his Oklahoma home with the same .40-caliber Glock pistol.
The judge ruled two days later that his gun had been stolen, but he apparently still had it. Bullets found at the scene of the Texas shooting matched those found at Lovell’s brother’s home. He was convicted in May for that incident.
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Judge Brian Lovell, 58, is charged with reckless driving in a case in Texas. In Oklahoma, he faces felony charges for using a vehicle to discharge a gun and discharging a gun in a home. (Travis County Sheriff’s Office)
None of these cases have been resolved. However, to avoid jeopardizing those investigations, the removal petition filed by the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints on June 27 claimed that their intent to temporarily suspend Lovell had nothing to do with these “alleged criminal activities.”
Instead, the petition focuses on alleged gross neglect of duty, corruption and abuse of position by the judge.
Lovell allegedly “communicated ex parte with the attorneys appearing before him.” He spoke to them individually about cases without the presence of other relevant attorneys.
The petition also accuses him of “making derogatory comments about attorneys appearing before him, publicly demonstrating bias toward a particular attorney, and setting bail amounts on criminal charges based on bias toward the defendant’s attorney or toward the defendant.”
According to the petition, Lovell, who is married, also had sex with two different bailiffs. He allegedly “exchanged sexually graphic messages and images with court employees during court hours” and “engaged in sexual advances with court employees during court hours.”
When Lovell was hired in 2011, he did not disclose his pre-existing sexual relationship with the female bailiff. He reportedly continued that relationship, “including maintaining contact at the Garfield County Courthouse during courthouse hours.”
The petition to remove Brian Lovell from his position as judge claims that his conduct in court, rather than the criminal charges against him, “undermines public confidence in the judiciary.” (Garfield County Court)
They continued their relationship from February until October of that year, when the bailiff told another judge about their relationship and resigned. In a vote, five district judges decided to keep Lovell on the bench.
That year, in 2023, another female bailiff was hired. Lovell and that bailiff allegedly performed sex acts, exchanged explicit messages and at times took intimate photographs of each other at the courthouse.
According to the petition, Lovell claimed her relationship with the other bailiff was nothing more than “flirtatious text messaging,” but the bailiff told investigators the two had a sexual relationship.
The petition alleges that the judge also gave preferential treatment to a lawyer and his clients, praising his decisions in court and cutting sweet deals in secret messages.
In one case, the judge reportedly described a lawyer’s decision not to cross-examine a witness as “brilliant.” In another case, he reportedly praised the lawyer’s cross-examination as “very detailed.” On another occasion, he told the lawyer that his performance in court was “excellent.” However, no other adjectives were used to praise other lawyers, according to court proceedings reviewed by the body.
At one point, Lovell allegedly abused a client but granted him favorable bail, saying it was because of who he chose to represent him in court.
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Brian Lovell allegedly had sex with two different bailiffs at the Garfield County Courthouse during work hours. (Google Map)
In another case, Lovell allegedly granted a protection order to a third-party business — a funeral home — that was represented by his preferred attorney, even though he did not have the authority to do so.
When he learned the council was investigating his actions, Lovell allegedly “sealed a court file without justification” and “attempted to persuade a lawyer to testify falsely before the council over judicial complaints.”
“(Lovell) has displayed disrespect for the judicial office to which he has been entrusted, and has committed a continuing pattern of misconduct and dishonesty,” the council wrote.
“This conduct demonstrates (Lovell’s) lack of temperament to serve as a judge, and undermines public confidence in the independence, integrity, impartiality and competence of the judiciary,” the petition added.
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Lovell has until July 8 to challenge his interim suspension order, and a hearing on his removal attempt is scheduled for July 30.
Stephen Jones, the attorney representing Lovell, told the Enid News & Eagle that his client had been “ambushed by the Oklahoma Judicial Grievance Council.”
“Judge Lovell was never notified and never asked to respond, even though he had an attorney and was prepared to defend against the allegations, which we repeatedly asked for notice of, and were repeatedly denied notice of,” Jones told the outlet.
Fox News Digital was unable to contact Lovell, the bailiff named in the petition, or the attorney he is accused of giving special treatment to.
