Colorado judge who discussed swinger lifestyle, sought help using Tinder, accepts public censure

John Scipione, a former district court judge in Arapahoe County, has agreed to a public censure and has resigned from his position following a series of ethical infractions. 

In one case, he told his law clerk "he was consensually non-monogamous and discussed details about a 'ranch' that catered to that 'lifestyle.' He asked the law clerk to assist him in using the Tinder dating application", according to a disciplinary summary released last week.

Scipione agreed to a public censure which took effect Nov. 13. He had resigned as a judge earlier this year.

According to the summary, when Scipione was a judge, he "referred to his legal assistant using a derogatory gendered term" and "made comments that made the law clerk feel uncomfortable."

Regulators also say Scipione emailed a judge presiding over a probate action for his father's estate using his judicial email address.
According to earlier media reports, Scipione previously admitted to a year-long extramarital affair with a court clerk when he was a magistrate. Scipione was also accused of using his position as a judicial officer to seek intimate relationships with fellow court employees or court personnel.

Scipione became a lawyer in Colorado in 1995 according to state records, but his law license is currently listed as "disability inactive."