20 years ago this month

• Pursuant to a conditional agreement for discipline, the Indiana Supreme Court reprimanded a judge who had had a defendant’s attorney arrested for failing to appear at a hearing when the hearing had been rescheduled after an ex parte communication with the prosecutor, the attorney had informed the judge that he had a conflicting court date, and the judge had denied a motion for continuance. In the Matter of Johnson, 658 N.E.2d 589 (Indiana 1995).
• Pursuant to a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct admonished a judge who, without a subpoena or official summons but under threat of subpoena, signed an affidavit that provided opinion evidence concerning the parenting skills of the parties in a pending matter, identifying himself as a judge and stating that his opinion was shared by other judges in the county. In re Poyfair, Stipulation and order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct December 1, 1995).
• Pursuant to a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct reprimanded a judge who had initiated or considered ex parte communications with police, another judge, a corrections officer, or defense counsel in 4 proceedings. In re Burchard, Stipulation and order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct December 1, 1995).
• Pursuant to a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct admonished a judge for inappropriate statements in 3 domestic abuse cases, including, “you didn’t need to bite her. Maybe you needed to boot her in the rear end, but you didn’t need to bite her . . . ,” and “my opinion is that the police do 95% of the work when they separate the parties, so that takes care of 95% of the problem.  You know, all we’re doing is slapping someone after the police have remedied the situation.”  In re Turco, Stipulation and order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct December 1, 1995).
• The Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct censured a judge for a pattern of inappropriate sexual behavior, for assaulting his then-wife, for improperly requiring a party to file an affidavit of prejudice against him after he had recused himself, for conducting a mitigation hearing on a traffic citation received by a woman he was dating, and for inappropriately touching a pregnant court employee and commenting, “I can’t get you pregnant, obviously.” In re Wilcox, Commission decision (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct December 1, 1995).