Roy Pearson, the District of Columbia administrative law judge who unsuccessfully sued a dry cleaners for $54 million, is expected to appear before a judicial commission today to make his case to keep his job on the bench, according to a government source.
The meeting will allow Pearson a last chance to answer the panel’s concerns over his actions in and out of the courtroom, including his pursuit of millions of dollars over a lost pair of pants.
Last week, the commission met behind closed doors for several hours interviewing witnesses to determine whether Pearson was fit for the position that pays $100,000 annually. Pearson was not at the meeting.
At today’s meeting, which will be held in private because it concerns personnel issues, Pearson likely will be allowed to call on his own witnesses, according to the government source. During the pants trial, Pearson represented himself, requested to call 26 witnesses and offered more than 70 pieces of evidence.
The panel could have a decision by tonight.
The commission has reviewed a number of issues and court documents, including a 14-page letter Pearson wrote accusing his boss of being “evil” and engaging in “Mafioso-style” intimidation. It also examined a Virginia court order that Pearson pay his ex-wife $12,000 for “creating unnecessary litigation” during their divorce.
Since Pearson’s two-year term expired in April, he has remained employed by the District, working as an attorney adviser for the D.C. Office of Hearings, the agency that employs the administrative law judges who oversee disputes between the city’s agencies and residents and businesses.
