I haven’t been to any “Darwin Award” sites lately, but this guy qualifies for some sort of stupidity award.

Chelsea District Court (Massachusetts) Assistant Clerk James Burke (if he gets nearly $85,000 a year as an assistant, what does a full clerk make?) has been arrested for having sex in a courtroom.

Now that sounds stupid enough, right? But catch this–the sex was with a woman in the courthouse jail on prostitution charges, whom he promised to help in return for sexual favors.

After an initial (oral) joust in an empty courtroom–“it was late in the day and the only judge left was not going to go downstairs”–Burke continued his offers of help in exchange for sex, but the woman had already turned state’s evidence against him. Actually, call it “fed’s evidence” since she contacted the FBI, and Burke was arrested after some recorded conversations sealed the deal for the feds. Burke has been charged with obstructing the woman’s constitutional rights.

Actually, Burke is the second public official to be snared by the woman. In 2004, a COP forced her into sex as well.

I dunno, but $85K a year seems to be an awful lot to lose over a few minutes of oral sex, either in good times (pre-2008) or bad (now). Couple that with probable jail time, and you’re talking major-league Darwin Award winner here.