20 years ago this month

• The Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission admonished a judge who (1) called a juvenile to the bench while the juvenile was in an agitated state, grabbed his jacket, and pulled him forward; (2) met with the juvenile’s legal guardian without the guardian’s attorney being present and discussed matters concerning the juvenile and the judge’s recusal from the case; (3) had an ex parte communication with a second juvenile, in the absence of the juvenile’s attorney, about a charge against the juvenile after the juvenile had requested a trial and indicated a desire to plead not guilty; and (4) after a third juvenile had requested trial, had continued discussing with the juvenile the facts of the underlying incident and if he was pleading guilty. Letter to Brown (Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission February 22, 1996).
• Accepting the recommendation of the Committee on Judicial Conduct, the New Hampshire Supreme Court suspended for 6 months without pay a judge who had called a police officer he knew personally after the officer had ticketed the judge’s brother. In re Snow, 674 A.2d 573 (New Hampshire 1996).
• Pursuant to a stipulation, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct admonished a judge who had appeared on behalf of his sister-in-law at a motion hearing before a family law commissioner during regular court hours and at the same courthouse in which he performed his judicial duties. In re Chow, Stipulation and Order of Admonishment (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct February 2, 1996).