20 years ago this month:

• Pursuant to the judge’s consent, the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications publicly censured a judge for granting an ex parte petition for change of custody without prior notice to the custodial parent or her counsel.  Public Admonition of Cox (Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications March 21, 2003).
• The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards publicly reprimanded a judge for driving an automobile while under the influence of alcohol, which the judge admitted.  Press Release (Murphy) (Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards March 18, 2003).
• The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards publicly reprimanded a judge for, in violation of state law, initially refusing to submit to the standard booking procedure in the county when he was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol.  Press Release (Murphy) (Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards March 18, 2003).
• The Nebraska Commission on Judicial Qualifications publicly reprimanded a judge for, without prior notice to either counsel, visiting a defendant in the county jail.  In the Matter of Coady, Reprimand (Nebraska Commission on Judicial Qualifications March 25, 2003).
• Pursuant to a stipulation and joint recommendation, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly censured a non-lawyer judge for beginning a hearing in a small claims case without the defendant before the scheduled time and failing to re-start the hearing when the defendant arrived; mistakenly awarding the claimant double the court costs and awarding attorneys’ fees; and failing to cooperate with the Commission during its investigation.  In the Matter of McCall, Determination (New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct March 28, 2003).
• Pursuant to the judge’s consent and the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the South Carolina Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a former judge for (1) failing to promptly transmit a $400 bond payment to the clerk, instead submitting a check drawn on her magistrate’s account, in violation of a supreme court order regarding financial record keeping; (2) charging individuals a fee to withdraw warrants without statutory or administrative authority for such a fee; (3) a lack of accounting procedures; (4) failing to disqualify from cases involving her former employer; (5) preparing a court order and magistrate’s bill of sale stating that a 1975 Rolls-Royce 4-door sedan had been sold to herself at a public auction even though none of the statutory requirements for such a sale were met and falsely representing to the Department of Revenue that she had paid $30 for the vehicle; and (6) failing to disclose receipt of the Rolls Royce in her disclosure statements.  In re Leavell, 578 S.E.2d 724 (South Carolina 2003).