5 years ago this month:

• Based on an agreement, the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission suspended a judge for 7 days without pay for raising a bond without notice and abusing her contempt power by holding the defendant’s mother in contempt for calling her a “b***h” outside her presence without a notice, a hearing, or the opportunity to have counsel present. In re Prewitt (Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission July 10, 2015).
• Accepting in part the recommendation of the Judicial Tenure Commission, the Michigan Supreme Court removed a judge for a mental disability that prevented the performance of her judicial duties, failing to cooperate with the Commission in its investigation, and making intentional misrepresentations to the Commission, to her employer, and to courts in which she was involved in litigation. In re Sanders, 865 N.W.2d 30 (Michigan 2015).
• Based on the judge’s agreement following a referee’s report, the New Hampshire Supreme Court suspended a judge for 60 days without pay and censured him for dismissing a petition for involuntary admission after becoming angry with the sheriff’s deputy for refusing to remove the respondent’s handcuffs and without giving the petitioner an opportunity to be heard and blaming the deputy in a subsequent order. In the Matter of Lyons, Order (New Hampshire Supreme Court July 10, 2015).
• Accepting an agreed statement of facts and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly censured a non-lawyer judge for requesting leniency for his son from 2 law enforcement officers. In the Matter of Sullivan, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct July 14, 2015).
• Pursuant to an agreement, the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded a judge for requiring defendants to perform public service work in order to be granted appointed counsel; sentencing defendants to jail for contempt if they did not complete public service work required for the appointment of counsel; without regard for their personal financial means, denying appointed counsel or revoking individuals’ bonds if they requested appointed counsel; ordering cash-only bonds in violation of law; requiring the waiver of the constitutional right to counsel and a jury trial as a prerequisite for a continuance: allowing some defendants as a requirement of probation or to obtain appointed counsel to donate items to charities specified by the judge; and refusing defendants’ requests for appointed counsel without conducting an indigency hearing. In re Holley, Reprimand and agreed cease and desist order (Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct July 6, 2015).
• Based on a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge for exchanging ex parte emails with a prosecutor and continuing a hearing in a case. In re Kondo, Stipulation, agreement, and order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct July 17, 2015).
• Based on a stipulation and agreement, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly censured a former judge for receiving a discounted carpool parking rate when he did not carpool. In re Bonner, Stipulation, agreement, and order (Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct July 17, 2015).