20 years ago this month:

• The Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission publicly admonished a judge for driving while intoxicated.  Letter to Munson from the Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission (September 23, 1999).
• The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a judge for banning a case coordinator from her courtroom, her chambers, and the hallway and prohibiting the coordinator from communicating with her or her staff. Inquiry Concerning Brown, Decision and Order Imposing Public Admonishment (California Commission on Judicial Performance September 1, 1999).
• Approving a stipulation, the Florida Supreme Court publicly reprimanded the judge for inadvertently issuing an order in a case in which his former daughter-in-law was the defendant and his son was the complainant and for executing warrants for the arrest of his former daughter-in-law based on his son’s affidavit.  Inquiry Concerning Brown, 748 So. 2d 960 (Florida 1999).
• Approving a statement of circumstances and conditional agreement in bar discipline proceedings, the Indiana Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a former judge for failing to recuse from a criminal proceeding against his son and ordering his son’s release from jail following his arrest.  In the Matter of Van Rider, 715 N.E.2d 402 (Indiana 1999).
• Approving a statement of circumstances and conditional agreement for discipline, the Indiana Supreme Court suspended a judge for 3 days without pay for entering an ex parte temporary restraining order without certification that notice had been given notice to the other side or what efforts had made to give notice or why notice was not required.  In the Matter of Jacobi, 715 N.E.2d 873 (Indiana 1999).
• Pursuant to an agreed statement of facts and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished who judge had, during a case in which a 16-year-old defendant was charged with disorderly conduct at a high school, referred to the principal as a “b***h” and a teacher as an “a**” and said the teacher “was the same one that my kid had a problem with a couple of years ago.”  In the Matter of Taggart, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct September 15, 1999).
• Based on an agreed statement of facts and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge who, in 52 traffic cases, set bail after the defendants pleaded not guilty during the initial court appearance without inquiring into the factors a statute required a judge to consider and in an amount that matched the subsequent fine and surcharge, using the bail amount to secure payment of the fine and surcharge.  In the Matter of Muskopf, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct September 16, 1999).
• Based on an agreed statement of facts and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge who had failed to disclose to the defendant in a small claims case that he had recently had his car repaired by the plaintiff body shop even though the quality of the repairs to the defendant’s vehicle was an issue in the case and going to the defendant’s home and requesting that she give him a new check made out to the body shop when the defendant made an error in writing a check for the judgement.  In the Matter of Grems, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct September 15, 1999).
• Pursuant to an agreed statement of facts and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge for being a guest of honor with members of his family at a dinner dance that benefited a Catholic schools foundation.  In the Matter of Paris, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct September 16, 1999).
• Pursuant to an agreed statement of facts, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge for making statements about abortion while running for another judicial office.  In the Matter of LaCava, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct September 16, 1999).