5 years ago this month:

• Adopting a joint resolution based on an agreement and stipulation, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended a judge for 11 months without pay for incarcerating offenders for non-payment of fines and costs without inquiring into the reasons for non-payment, in clear violation of state law; incarcerating offenders for months without a written order; and delegating judicial authority to a private probation company.  In the Matter of Hayes, Final judgment (Alabama Court of the Judiciary January 6, 2017).
• Based on an agreement, the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission publicly reprimanded a judge for (1) requiring couples with children to participate in hearings to determine whether their marriage was irretrievably broken but not requiring such hearings for couples who do not have children and (2) providing third parties with facts about cases that were not part of the public record to assist the third parties with their independent research and teaching duties.  In re Philpot, Public reprimand (Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission January 6, 2017).
• Based on the findings and recommendation of the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline, the Missouri Supreme Court suspended a judge for 6 months without pay for (1) to prevent the public defender from disqualifying her, deliberately postponing the appointment of counsel to indigent defendants in probation violation cases until after the disqualification deadline and (2) threatening to bring bar complaints against any public defender who entered an appearance prior to being appointed.  In re Mennemeyer, 505 S.W.3d 282 (Missouri 2017).