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San Francisco, CA - A California judge resigned on Monday following a public censure and bar from the state's Commission on Judicial Performance for multiple ethics violations, including drug use and inappropriate personal relationships. Judge Gregory J. Kreis of Humboldt County Superior Court agreed to never serve in a judicial position in the state again.

The commission charged Kreis with 21 ethics violations in recent months, including being seen using a vape pen containing cannabis oil at a public event and using cocaine frequently between 2013 and 2017. He was also accused of being intoxicated while on a boat with a group and having a two-year intimate relationship with the court's family law facilitator, Tanya Ellis, while assigned to the court's family law calendar.

Kreis, 53, did not deny the affair but clarified that it started in 2021, not 2019. His resignation follows the commission's most severe sanction for a judge who has resigned or retired. The commission also cited his failure to disclose relationships with attorneys and making inappropriate comments, including antisemitic remarks.

Judge Kreis was appointed to the Humboldt County Superior Court in May 2017 by then-Governor Jerry Brown, following seven years at the Humboldt County Public Defender's Office. In the March election, he lost to attorney April Van Dyke, who received 60.4% of the vote.

In an email to Law360, Kreis's attorney, James A. Murphy, questioned the commission's timing of filing the ethics charges, suggesting it impacted the election outcome. He noted that Kreis's resignation allows the governor to appoint a replacement.

The commission highlighted Kreis's prior misconduct, including an advisory letter issued in 2018 for inappropriate remarks made during a sentencing hearing. The judge was also charged with making false statements during an online debate and failing to disclose familiarity with individuals involved in cases before him in 44 different instances.

The Commission on Judicial Performance, established in 1960, investigates complaints of judicial misconduct and incapacity, disciplining judges as necessary. It has jurisdiction over all California superior court judges and appellate justices, as well as former judges for conduct before retirement or resignation.

The commission is represented in-house by Mark A. Lizarraga and Gregory Cleaver. Judge Kreis is represented by James A. Murphy and Christopher R. Ulrich of Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney PC.

The matter is Inquiry Concerning Judge Gregory J. Kreis, case number 209, in the Commission on Judicial Performance for the State of California.