Salt Lake City (AP) – A Utah judge who had ordered a baby girl taken away from her lesbian foster parents and placed with a heterosexual couple has retired.
Court officials announced that juvenile court Judge Scott Johansen retired on Jan. 1.
Johansen faced widespread criticism and calls for his impeachment after he ordered a 9-month-old baby taken from the home of April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce on Nov. 10. He later reversed the ruling and recused himself.
He did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
He was appointed in 1992 to the bench in Price, about 120 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Johansen was reprimanded in 1995 when he slapped a 16-year-old boy in his chambers. A woman also complained when he told her to chop off her daughter’s ponytail in court three years ago.
