Ten years ago this month

• Approving the recommendation of the Judicial Qualifications Commission based on a stipulation and agreement, the Florida Supreme Court reprimanded a judge who, in violation of a state statute, had incurred campaign expenses that his campaign account did not have sufficient funds to cover, loaned substantial funds to his campaign, and deposited those funds into his campaign account after the deadline for doing so. Inquiry Concerning Gooding, 905 So. 2d 121 (Florida 2005).
• Approving the findings and recommendation of the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the Florida Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a judge for delays in rendering decision in 9 cases and for, in several cases, offering to finally rule if the parties waived the prejudice from the delays. Inquiry Concerning Allawas, 906 So. 2d 1052 (Florida 2005).
• Adopting the recommendation of the Judiciary Commission based on stipulated facts, the Louisiana Supreme Court publicly censured a judge for retaining his girlfriend to summarize medical records for cases in his court, paying her with taxpayer funds, and using taxpayer money to enable her to become a certified legal nurse consultant. In re Granier, 906 So. 2d 417 (Louisiana 2005).
• Based on the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Performance, the Mississippi Supreme Court removed a judge for interfering with the prosecution of a domestic violence case against his son and threatening the victim when she complained to the Commission. Commission on Judicial Performance v. Brown, 918 So.2d 1247 (Mississippi 2005).
• Accepting the determination of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the New York Court of Appeals removed a judge for his systematic failure to apply statutory requirements regarding the award of legal fees to the counsel for the public administrator and appointing a friend as counsel to the public administrator and then making unsubstantiated awards of several million dollars in fees to him. In the Matter of Feinberg, 833 N.E.2d 1204 (New York 2005).
• Pursuant to the recommendation of the Judicial Standards Commission, the North Carolina Supreme Court censured a judge for sexual harassment. In re Daisy, 614 S.E.2d 529 (North Carolina 2005).  The judge had hugged and touched a judicial assistant and a paralegal and engaged in physical contact with them that could reasonably be interpreted as, and that they considered to be, unwanted, uninvited, and inappropriate.  The judge had stipulated that his conduct violated the code of judicial conduct and constituted conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Based on stipulated facts and the judge’s agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded a judge for (1) appearing to personally solicit campaign contributions in 3 e-mails from his campaign committee, (2) asking an attorney to explain why a campaign sign endorsing his opponent was displayed in front of the attorney’s office building, and (3) contributing $75 to a congressional campaign. In re Krouse, Stipulation, Agreement, and Order of Reprimand (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct June 1, 2005) (http://www.cjc.state.wa.us/CJC_Activity/public_actions.htm).