Detroit judge proud of shirtless pic sent to women

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit judge says the verdict is in: He's proud of his physique and has no reason to be ashamed of sending a shirtless photo of himself to women, including at least one court employee.

A TV station confronted 55-year-old Wayne County Judge Wade McCree this week after the husband of a court employee said the photo turned up on her phone. It shows the very fit judge from the waist up taking his own picture in front of a mirror.

"Hot dog. Yep, that's me," McCree said when WJBK-TV showed him a printout of the photo. "No shame to my game."

The judge then feigned taking off his shirt for reporter Charlie LeDuff and said, "You can always get that here and now."

McCree, who is married, said he also sent the photo "out to other women," noting he's not fully nude in the picture and goes shirtless each day at the YMCA pool.

McCree's courtroom was locked Tuesday afternoon, and a woman who answered his office phone said he was unavailable. He did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

WJBK said court employee's husband plans to file a complaint with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, a watchdog agency over the judiciary. The husband was not identified in the TV report.

The commission's executive director, Paul Fischer, said Tuesday he couldn't confirm or deny whether a grievance had been filed. He said all investigations are confidential.

McCree's father was the first black judge on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati and solicitor general under President Jimmy Carter.