Public reprimand issued to former Hereford Municipal Judge after misconduct review

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) has issued a public reprimand to former Hereford Municipal Court Judge Jennifer Eggen following a review of allegations regarding her conduct on the bench. Eggen, who served in Hereford for 19 years before retiring, was the subject of a formal investigation reviewed during commission meetings held on August 6 and 7.

According to the commission’s public reprimand, Eggen failed to comply with the law, maintain professional competence, and perform her judicial duties without bias or prejudice. The report stated that Eggen, “through words or conduct, manifested bias or prejudice, including, but not limited to bias or prejudice based upon race, national origin and socioeconomic status.”

The documents summarized multiple instances of misconduct. The commission reported that Eggen made inappropriate remarks to minors in court about potential outcomes if they were incarcerated. In one documented instance, she told a 15-year-old boy that she hoped he would be placed “in jail with a big black man that would make him his sex toy.” In another case, she told a teenage defendant that due to his small size, he would be an easy target for larger men in jail.

The commission also cited incidents in which Eggen allegedly humiliated teenagers and their parents in court settings, altered court pleadings to benefit friends and church members, discriminated against Hispanic, undocumented, and low-income individuals, and attempted to interfere with students' ability to graduate by ordering arrests for unpaid fines.

According to the reprimand, Eggen submitted written responses to the commission during the investigation. She stated that she had retired from the Hereford Municipal Court after 19 years of service. In a subsequent response, she denied the misconduct described in the document.

The SCJC’s decision to issue a public reprimand is significant. A public reprimand is the highest level of discipline the commission may impose on a current or former judge. Fewer than eight public reprimands are issued statewide each year. However, the action does not bar Eggen from seeking judicial office again in the future.

Eggen has not publicly commented outside of the written responses included in the commission report.

The full reprimand document remains available through the State Commission on Judicial Conduct’s public records.