50th birthday gag gift

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Jurors and others in Judge Donald Thompson's courtroom kept hearing a strange whooshing noise, like a bicycle pump or maybe a blood pressure cuff.

The explanation, investigators say, is the judge had a habit of masturbating with a penis pump under his robe during trials.

The allegations have led to criminal charges against Thompson, 58, and brought an end to a solid career. The case could also lead to appeals from defendants claiming the judge was not paying attention to their cases.

Thompson, a married father of three grown children, has denied the allegations, and said the pump was just a gag gift received on his 50th birthday. AP

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