Judge Greg Schatz…the devil made him do it!

From Omaha World Herald

LINCOLN – Douglas County District Judge Greg Schatz made a spur-of-the-moment bad decision when he made a call to get a friend released from jail.

That’s the argument his attorney made at a disciplinary hearing against the judge in Lincoln Thursday.

“He wasn’t doing something malicious. He wasn’t trying to give a friend a leg up on the case,” said Thomas Hoarty, an Omaha attorney.

But attorney Anne Winner, representing the Nebraska Judicial Qualifications Commission, called Schatz’ actions a “textbook example” of using his office for improper purposes.

She said the call, made the morning of Aug. 7, 2012, on behalf of Omaha attorney Michael Davlin, violated the code of judicial ethics in several respects.

Davlin had been jailed the night before on suspicion of fifth-offense drunken driving, a felony. His blood-alcohol content was .247, three times the legal
limit of 0.08.  …..MORE