A longtime Miami administrative law judge is facing a serious felony charge after police say a domestic argument in his home ended with his wife cut and fleeing to a neighbor for help.
Gerald W. Foulds, 79, was arrested Sunday and booked on a charge of aggravated battery causing bodily harm with a deadly weapon against an elderly victim. He was granted a $2,500 bond. According to police, his wife ran to a neighbor’s residence while bleeding after the incident.
According to WSVN, a City of Miami arrest affidavit states that the couple, who have been married for more than 14 years, began arguing after waking up that morning. The dispute allegedly escalated when Foulds followed his wife into the kitchen, grabbed her by the shoulder and cut her left arm with a butter knife.
The affidavit says the victim described Foulds as “impulsive, aggressive and struggling with a drinking problem” and told detectives there had been previous physical altercations during the marriage that she never reported. Investigators cited witness statements, surveillance video and the victim’s injuries as evidence in the case, according to the affidavit.
Judge's background
Foulds serves as an administrative law judge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, according to Martindale. The attorney directory lists a Miami office and identifies him as an OMHA judge.
Charges and legal consequences
WSVN reports that Foulds appeared in bond court, where a judge found probable cause and set his bond at $2,500.
Under Florida law, aggravated battery against a person 65 years of age or older is reclassified as a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum prison term and fines, per Florida Statutes §784.08.
What happens next
Foulds’ criminal case will move forward in the Miami court system, although details on his upcoming hearings were not available at the time of publication. The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals has not issued a public statement, and it was not clear whether Foulds had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
