10 years ago this month:

• The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded a judge for asking 2 other judges about a case on behalf of family friends.  Pollard, Order (Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct December 20, 2011). 
• Accepting a statement of circumstances and conditional agreement for discipline, the Indiana Supreme Court suspended a judge for 60 days without pay for (1) without legal authority, referring traffic infraction litigants to a traffic school program and dismissing their cases upon their completion of the program without any request from the prosecutor and (2) his statements in a case that coerced a traffic litigant into pleading guilty.  In the Matter of Harkin, 958 N.E.2d 788 (Indiana 2011).
• Based on a report from the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court publicly reprimanded a judge for a pattern of unacceptable delays in managing and resolving at least 5 cases.  In the Matter of Holmes, 32 A.3d 1011 (Maine 2011).
• Based on an agreed statement of facts and proposed recommendation, the Mississippi Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a judge and fined her $500 for jailing a mother for criminal contempt, without first affording her due process, for failing to obtain mental health treatment for her daughter.  Commission on Judicial Performance v. Darby, 75 So. 3d 1037 (Mississippi 2011).
• Based on an agreed statement of facts and recommendation, the Mississippi Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a judge and fined him $1,000 for telling a defendant “if you’re convicted, I’m gonna get you;” discourteously addressing a bail bondsman and 2 lawyers; and wrongly imposing contempt sanctions against the bondsman and lawyers.  Commission on Judicial Performance v. Smith, 78 So. 3d 889 (Mississippi 2011).
• Adopting the findings and recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, which the judge accepted, the New Jersey Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a former judge for repeatedly and unnecessarily referring to her judicial office when talking to police officers in an attempt to convince them to arrest a state investigator who had entered her home to serve a subpoena on her husband and, when they refused, belittling and disrespecting their work and competence.  In the Matter of Muller, Order (New Jersey Supreme Court December 12, 2011).
• Pursuant to an agreement with the judge, the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary publicly reprimanded a judge for twice publicly criticizing other judges’ decisions to lower bonds he had set.  Letter to Bales (Tennessee Court of the Judiciary December 6, 2011).
• Pursuant to the judge’s agreement, the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary publicly reprimanded a judge for handcuffing a father to a son as a punishment in a case.  Letter to Zachary (Tennessee Court of the Judiciary December 27, 2011).
• Reviewing the complainant’s petition from an order of the 6th Circuit Judicial Council dismissing a complaint, the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability publicly reprimanded a judge for holding membership in a country club that practices invidious discrimination on the bases of race and sex.  In re Complaint of Judicial Misconduct (Paine), Amended Memorandum of Decision (U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability December 1, 2011).