Tulsa judge apologizes for sending campaign mailer to jurors

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – An Oklahoma judge has apologized for using the private information of jurors who served in his courtroom to send them a campaign mailer asking for their support in his re-election bid.

The Tulsa World reports that Tulsa County District Judge James Caputo acknowledged in a letter that the decision to send the mailers “did not inspire confidence in the judiciary.”

The state Code of Judicial Conduct says judges and judicial candidates cannot require court staff to assist in a campaign or use court resources to further political activities.

Caputo had also asked jurors to share on his campaign Facebook page “any memories you had from serving on the jury panel in my courtroom.”

Caputo is up for re-election on Nov. 6.

He’s a criminal docket judge who sometimes handles civil cases in Tulsa County.