20 years ago this month:

• The Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission admonished a judge who had been involved in a brawl in a tavern. Letter from Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission to Rogers (November 26, 1996).
• The Arkansas Commission on Judicial Discipline and Disability suspended a judge for 6 months without pay for paying a prostitute $300 for her sexual services with him and with an attorney at a later time (the judge was giving the attorney a “Christmas present”); the Commission also ordered the judge to issue a public apology. In the Matter of Thomas, Decision and order (November 15, 1996).
• The California Commission on Judicial Performance admonished a judge who had used the court’s computer to obtain confidential information from records of the Department of Motor Vehicles and disclosed them to a friend. Public Admonishment of Smith (California Commission on Judicial Performance November 25, 1996).
• Agreeing with the recommendation of the Judiciary Commission, the Louisiana Supreme Court censured a successful judicial candidate who had used campaign materials referring to himself as “THE Qualified “JUDGE” even though he had only sat previously as an ad hoc judge. In re Cascio, 683 So. 2d 1202 (Louisiana 1996).
• Adopting the recommendation of the Judiciary Commission, the Louisiana Supreme Court censured a judge for delays in 2 cases and for failure to report the cases. In re Tuck, 683 So. 2d 1214 (Louisiana 1996).
• Adopting the recommendation of the Judiciary Commission based on a stipulation of uncontested facts, the Louisiana Supreme Court removed from office a judge who owned and operated a company that provided pay telephone service for the inmates of the local parish jail. In re Johnson, 683 So. 2d 1196 (Louisiana 1996).
• Agreeing with the findings of the Board of Commissioners on Judicial Standards, the South Carolina Supreme Court removed from office a judge who had issued an arrest warrant at the request of his daughter and released the arrested man from jail after the man paid her $500. In the Matter of McKinney, 478 S.E.2d 51 (South Carolina 1996).