- Accepting the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Conduct, which the judge did not contest, the Alaska Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a judge for failing to decide a matter for more than 6 months and signing pay affidavits that she should have known were not accurate. In the Disciplinary Matter Involving White (Alaska Supreme Court May 8, 2020).
- Pursuant to an agreement with the Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission, a judge resigned and agreed to a permanent bar from holding judicial office in the state for (1) failing to immediately recuse from all cases involving a female defendant with whom he was communicating on Facebook Messenger and by telephone and engaging in ex parte communications with her about her cases after he recused; and (2) calling the mayor and the police chief after his wife received a traffic ticket and using unprofessional language and exhibiting unbecoming demeanor during the call. Letter of resignation and prohibition from office (Throesch) (Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission May 1, 2020).
- Based on an agreement, the California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a judge for, in several hearings in a family law case, making comments that demonstrated embroilment, bias, and pre-judgement and that were discourteous and undignified, including accusing the parents of damaging their child and initiating a discussion about religion with a witness. In the Matter Concerning Gary, Decision and order (California Commission on Judicial Performance May 14, 2020) .
- Based on a stipulation, the Florida Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a judge for routinely conducting first appearances without complying with statute and the rules of criminal procedure and engaging in improper ex parte communications with defendants, witnesses, litigants, family members, and others regarding cases or matters pending, impending, or likely to come before him. Inquiry Concerning Scaff (Florida Supreme Court May 28, 2020) .
- Based on the findings and recommendation of a 3-judge panel, the New Jersey Supreme Court removed a judge from office for (1) his coarse questioning of an alleged domestic violence victim during a hearing and his sophomoric comments to staff members in open court after the hearing; (2) asking a court employee to contact her counterpart in another court to request that his personal guardianship matter be rescheduled to accommodate him; (3) failing to recuse himself from a matrimonial matter when he had known both parties since high school and “drastically” reducing a judgement based solely on the husband’s testimony; and (4) threatening and belittling an unrepresented litigant in an ex parte conversation. In the Matter of Russo (New Jersey Supreme Court May 26, 2020).
- The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline removed a former judge from office and banned him from serving in office again based on its guilty plea to federal charges of mail fraud and filing a false personal income tax return and his conviction on federal perjury charges. In re Mulgrew, Opinion and order (Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline May 6, 2020).
- The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline removed a former judge from office and barred him from further judicial service based on his guilty plea to federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and extortion under color of official right. In re Waltman, Opinion and order (Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline May 6, 2020).
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Judicial ethics and discipline 