Peers admonish U.S. chief judge over Web sex files

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A high-ranking federal judge who made sexually explicit material available on his own Web site has been cleared with an admonishment by fellow judges.

The panel says Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was careless and “judicially imprudent” in not safeguarding his files.

The 41-page decision was made public today by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court here, which was asked to investigate the California-based judge.

The panel says Judge Kozinski embarrassed the federal judiciary.

The judges say, however, the matter should end with the admonishment, combined with his apology and other unspecified “corrective action.”