Scott McCabe, The Examiner
2007-10-29 07:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

After months of painstaking proceedings, a judicial panel is expected tonight to formally fire the man who became known as the “pants” judge.

The five-person commission will vote to finalize a letter notifying Administrative Law Judge Roy Pearson that he will not be reappointed to the bench of the D.C. Office of Hearings, a little publicized but influential department that hears disputes between city agencies and residents and businesses.

The proceedings will be held behind closed doors because they involve personnel issues, which are supposed to be kept private.

The decision to terminate Pearson will be based largely on the 57-year-old's judicial temperament and legal conduct on matters other than the $54 million lawsuit that Pearson brought against a D.C. dry cleaners over a lost pair of pants, said a source close to the case.

The letter to Pearson will also address his conduct in the pants case; ignoring the legal battle over the lawsuit would be “disingenuous,” according to a second person with knowledge of the deliberations. Both sources requested anonymity because of the confidential nature of the discussions.

The case drew international ridicule and became the rallying point for tort reformers angered by frivolous litigation. The case was even brought up in last week's Republican presidential debate.

Over the past few months, the commission has listened to witnesses, reviewed court records and other documents, including a 14-page letter Pearson wrote accusing his boss of being “evil” and engaging in “Mafioso-style” intimidation. The commission also saw a Virginia court order instructing Pearson to pay his ex-wife $12,000 for “creating unnecessary litigation” during their divorce.

Twice Pearson made impassioned pleas for his job, arguing in the same relentless manner in which he contended over his lost pants.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com