Roy Pearson, the famed Pants Judge, has just under a week to respond to the letter he received from his employers earlier this month informing him that his job was in jeopardy. Knowing Pearson as we now do, it seems likely the Office of Administrative Hearings, which has employed him as an administrative law judge for the District (Pearson is currently serving as an attorney adviser to the OAH while his contract is under review, but is still on payroll), will receive a zealously argued, impassioned plea from the judge stating why he should be able to keep his job. But while the OAH waits for his response, they'll have other matters to deal with: The Examiner reports they're the subject of a thorough review by the The D.C. Inspector General.

Now, Chief Administrative Law Judge Tyrone Butler, who is Pearson's boss and the man who first recommended Pearson for reappointment and then later took it back, has described the review as “routine.” But anyone who believes that an 8-week inspection coming on the heels of countless angry letters and phone calls from D.C. tax payers demanding to know how a man like Roy Pearson could be a judge is "routine" is kidding themselves. Deputy Inspector General Austin Anderson also claims that the agency’s review was scheduled independently of Pearson’s litigation -- fine, say what you want. Let's just all agree this inspection is remarkably well-timed. Considering the OAH was designed to ensure residents and anyone conducting business with the city could receive fair and impartial hearings, we'll be awfully interested to read that report when it's completed.

In other Pants-related news, a D.C. Superior Court Judge ruled last week that Pearson is not eligible to be reimbursed for his attorney's fees. Pearson, as you'll no doubt recall, represented himself in his $54 million lawsuit against Custom Cleaners.