10 years ago this month:

• The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a former judge for failing, while he was presiding judge, to take sufficient action to ensure that a court commissioner was deciding all of her cases in a timely manner and failing to promptly respond to complaints about the commissioner’s delays. In the Matter Concerning Schnider, Decision and Order (California Commission on Judicial Performance August 31, 2009).
• Modifying the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Qualifications based on the judge’s consent, the Nebraska Supreme Court suspended a judge for 4 months without pay for (1) improperly involving himself in a criminal case against his nephew by personally requesting the prosecutor to keep a plea agreement open, telephoning and meeting with the nephew’s attorney, and having an ex parte communication with another judge concerning the case; and (2) using expletives during a private conversation with a prosecutor concerning the scheduling of a case, stating that the defendant should have been “hammered” with other felony charges, and leaving a profane and threatening message on the prosecutor’s telephone. In re Complaint against Marcuzzo, 770 N.W.2d 591 (Nebraska 2009).
• Based on the judge’s acceptance, the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission publicly reprimanded a judge for ordering a woman to show cause why she should not be held in criminal contempt of court for distributing political flyers alleging the judge was corrupt. Public Reprimand of Bridges (North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission August 24, 2009).
• Pursuant to the judge’s agreement, the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary publicly reprimanded a judge for taking 8 months to decide a petition to restore custody of a child to the child’s mother. In re Rich (Tennessee Court of the Judiciary August 26, 2009).
• Based on a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly censured a judge for having an affair with a court employee. In the Matter of Mamiya, Stipulation, Agreement, and Order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct August 7, 2009).