A Kitchener Justice of the Peace is preparing for a hearing before the Justices of the Peace Review Council after he repeatedly told a colleague he wanted to have sex with her. Justice of the Peace James Ziegler was found not guilty of forcible confinement and criminal harassment last December. The accusations stemmed from an incident on April 19, 2024 when he went into a fellow Justice of the Peace’s office at the Kitchener courthouse and repeatedly said he wanted to have sex with her. CTV News is not naming the female colleague involved in the incident. In the previous ruling, a judge determined Ziegler’s behaviour was inappropriate and unprofessional, but not criminal in nature. However, Ziegler could still face professional repercussions. The Justices of the Peace Review Council has posted a notice about a public hearing into Ziegler’s conduct. “The allegations include that Justice of the Peace Ziegler entered the colleague’s chambers uninvited and, after closing the door, made repeated, unsolicited declarations of a sexual nature toward the colleague,” the notice said. “The colleague repeatedly told Justice of the Peace Ziegler that his advances were unwelcome and asked him to stop. After a period of about 30 minutes, Justice of the Peace Ziegler left the colleague’s chambers.” The notice also claimed that Ziegler tried to contact his colleague after the April 19 incident when he learned that she had reported the incident. “Such attempts by Justice of the Peace Ziegler to contact his colleague could reasonably be perceived as an attempt to influence or obtain information about what had been reported, to prepare a misleading explanation and/or to dissuade the colleague from telling the truth about what had occurred,” the hearing notice said. It goes on to say Ziegler’s reported conduct was unprofessional and inappropriate. “The alleged conduct is contrary to the integrity of the judiciary and undermines the public’s confidence in the justice of the peace’s fitness to hold judicial office and in the administration of justice,” the notice said. The notice also included a letter written by Ziegler’s colleague. She described her fears for her safety and how distraught she was after the alleged incident happened. “I had a mini meltdown in my office, shaking uncontrollably and crying. I was in disbelief as if it were a horrific nightmare,” the letter said. She went on to write that she was afraid to go home because Ziegler knew where she lived. On the following weekend, she didn’t want to go to the store in case she ran into him. “He has told me over the years that he has a vindictive nature when people piss him off. I am extremely fearful that he will access my schedule and know where I am,” she wrote. Ziegler’s first hearing date is set for Sept. 10. He will be given the chance to provide his side of the story. However, if the complaint is upheld, he could face consequences ranging from a warning to a recommendation that he be removed from his office. Ziegler is currently unassigned from his duties. CTV News reached out to Ziegler’s lawyer, but did not hear back in time for publication.
