5 years ago this month

• The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed 2 decisions of the Judicial Conduct Commission (1) reprimanding a judge and suspending her for 45 days without pay for (a) summarily holding a husband in contempt of court for actions outside her perception and (b) entering an order changing custody that denied the father due process and (2) reprimanding the judge for a “standing order” that prohibited child support modifications for Toyota employees. Gormley v. Judicial Conduct Commission, 332 S.W.3d 717 (Kentucky 2010).
• The North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission publicly reprimanded a judge for a 2-year delay in entering an order; the judge accepted the reprimand. Public Reprimand of Black (North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission August 13, 2010) (aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/coa/jsc/publicreprimands/jsc10-013.pdf).
• The Washington Supreme Court suspended a judge for 5 days without pay for deriding the intelligence of pro se litigants who appeared before her and rudely and impatiently interrupting them. In the Matter of Eiler, 236 P.3d 873 (Washington 2010).
• Granting the recommendation of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Washington Supreme Court disqualified a former judge from future judicial office based on his conviction on 1 misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute and 1 count of felony harassment. In re Hecht, Order (Washington Supreme Court August 5, 2010) (cjc.state.wa.us/CJC_Activity/public_actions_2010.htm#5863).
• Based on stipulations and the findings and recommendation of a Judicial Conduct Panel, the Wisconsin Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a former judge for a substantial backlog of unadjudicated citations and refusing to adjudicate any parking ticket stipulation cases. In the Matter of Zodrow, 787 N.W.2d 815 (Wisconsin 2010).