5 years ago this month:

• Based on an agreement and stipulation, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended a judge for 180 days without pay for her handling of her small claims docket.  In the Matter of Pettway, Final judgment (Alabama Court of the Judiciary January 21, 2016).
• Based on an agreement and stipulation, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary publicly censured a judge for instructing criminal defendants to donate blood or go to jail when they owed court-ordered financial assessments but did not have any money.  In the Matter of Wiggins, Final judgment (Alabama Court of the Judiciary January 21, 2016).
• The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a judge for treating certain women at court inappropriately, despite having been warned by the court about his behavior.  Public Admonishment of Bergeron (California Commission on Judicial Performance January 25, 2016).
• The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a judge for, on 8 occasions, signing and submitting false salary affidavits that stated he had no submitted cases pending and undetermined over 90 days and, on 6 occasions, receiving his salary in violation of the law.  Public Admonishment of Wilson (California Commission on Judicial Performance January 23, 2016).
• With the judge’s consent, the D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure released its determination that a judge’s modification of a defendant’s sentence outside the presence of the parties violated the code of judicial conduct.  Re:  Williams, Determination and undertaking (D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure January 20, 2016).
• Based on stipulated facts, the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline removed a former judge from office and ordered him ineligible to hold judicial office in the future following his guilty plea in federal court to 1 count of mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire fraud, both felonies.  In re Waters, Opinion and order (Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline January 12, 2016).
• Pursuant to the judge’s agreement, the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded a judge for disposing of numerous cases in which criminal and juvenile defendants were represented by his wife and entered a cease and desist order in which the judge agreed not to be involved in any cases in which his spouse represents a party.  Re Grimes (Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct January 11, 2016).
• The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished a judge for, after taking a case under advisement following a bench trial, entering a written judgment that was inconsistent with the amount of damages sought and presented at trial, failing to provide notice of the entry of the lower judgment amount to the parties, failing to afford the parties an opportunity to be heard on the legal issue that resulted in the lower judgment amount, and failing to announce the final judgment in open court as required by law.  Public Admonition of Contreras (Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct January 28, 2016).