Cape Cod judge attacked woman twice and warned victim he was 'untouchable', prosecutors say

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:48, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 21:48, 20 May 2026 A judge in Cape Cod has been accused of attacking a woman twice before telling her that he was 'untouchable,' prosecutors allege.  Judge Robert Welsh III, 60, was accused of assaulting, restraining and kicking a woman in Las Vegas and in Massachusetts, before declaring that his position made him 'untouchable,' court documents filed on Tuesday allege.  In an alleged incident in May 2021, the woman accused Welsh of throwing her to the ground and leaving to meet with mutual friends while on vacation in Las Vegas, court documents obtained by the Daily Mail said.  The judge and woman had been arguing on a bus as they made their way to their hotel in Nevada, the filing stated.  Welsh was also accused of having 'physically assaulted' the woman in January of this year in Sandwich, Massachusetts, just over an hour from Providence, Rhode Island.  The unidentified woman alleged that in the latest incident, Welsh 'grabbed her by the arms and squeezed so tightly that she had to bite him to get him to let go,' according to the filing. She also claimed that the judge 'kicked her in the vagina while wearing a shoe.' Judge Robert Welsh III, 60, was accused of assaulting, restraining and kicking a woman in Las Vegas and in Sandwich, his home town, and declaring that his position made him 'untouchable,' court documents filed on Tuesday allege  Welsh, who is set to be arraigned on June 11 after requesting the hearing be delayed, was placed on administrative leave last week A police report was said to include photos of bruising and swelling present on the woman's arms and groin.  According to her complaint, Welsh would also 'consistently tell her he was "untouchable" because he was a judge,' State Police Detective Lieutenant Kevin MacDermott wrote on a police report detailed in court documents obtained by the Mail.  MacDermott said he had been contacted by Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois on May 4, informing him that the woman had asked to meet.  The meeting on May 6 saw the woman claim that Welsh, an alleged heavy drinker, was 'often intoxicated and would show up to work hungover,' according to the report. She also claimed that, as he drank, he became 'more easily aggravated,' the report said, and that during both assaults he had seemed intoxicated. Welsh was appointed in 2006 by former Republican Governor Mitt Romney, seen above, and served as first justice in Orleans District Court, seen above, for at least nine years The unidentified woman alleged that Welsh, seen right, 'grabbed her by the arms so tightly that she had to bite him to get him to let go,' and 'kicked her in the vagina while wearing a shoe' Welsh, who is set to be arraigned on June 11 after requesting the hearing be delayed, was placed on administrative leave last week, a spokesperson told the Daily Mail.  He will not be hearing cases while the matter is ongoing.   He had been appointed in 2006 by former Republican Governor Mitt Romney, and served as first justice in Orleans District Court for at least nine years, MassLive reported.  Welsh is not currently being held in custody. He faces a misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a family or household member, as well as a felony charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60 years old.  Welsh's attorney Daniel W O'Malley told the Daily Mail they had no comment at this time.   The Daily Mail reached out to Orleans District Court, Suffolk County Attorney's Office and Brighton Municipal Court for further comment and information.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.