25 years ago this month:

• The California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly censured a retired judge and barred him from receiving assignments, appointments, or references of work from any California state court for (1) in a civil action in which State Farm was defending the insured, (a) becoming angry with State Farm and its attorney, losing his ability to be objective, and ordering the president to appear; (b) when the attorney made a motion on behalf of State Farm, telling the bailiff that the attorney had no right to be in the courtroom and that “if he says one more word even under his breath in this courtroom I will hold him in contempt of court and you will take him to the Orange County jail;” (c) during trial, calling several representatives of State Farm to the stand and questioning them about their conversation with State Farm’s attorney after a settlement conference and threatening to hold the attorney in contempt for objecting to this “star chamber” proceeding; (d) ordering the president of State Farm to appear when there was a dispute about a settlement agreement; (2) in a different case, purportedly because an attorney had repeatedly violated an limine ruling, slamming a tablet down on the bench, excusing the jury, and yelling at the attorney for several minutes loudly enough to be heard in the hallway through a closed door; (3) in a case involving sexual abuse of a child, telling an inappropriate and offensive joke while on the bench; (4) in a fourth case, obtaining the plaintiffs’ waivers of future complaints against him to the Commission, their wavier of the filing of potential civil suits, and their agreement to indemnify him for costs incurred in Commission proceedings and threatening retaliation if complaints were made or civil suits were filed against him; and (5) using the judicial office to promote and sell a book he had written.  Inquiry Concerning Ross, Decision and order (California Commission on Judicial Performance April 30, 1998).
• The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline publicly reprimanded a judge for calling an employee of the statutory appeals unit and a magisterial district judge to influence the outcome of 2 traffic cases.  In re Terrick, 712 A.2d 834, 712 A.2d 848 (Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline 1998).
• The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline publicly reprimanded a judge for calling the supervisor of the county statutory appeals unit and a magisterial district judge to influence the outcome of 2 traffic cases.  In re Joyce, 712 A.2d 834, 712 A.2d 847 (Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline 1998).
• Adopting the recommendation of the Board of Commissioners on Judicial Standards, the South Carolina Supreme Court publicly reprimanded a former non-lawyer magistrate for falsely indicating that he was a “high school graduate or its equivalence (G.E.D.)” on the notarized application for magistrate he had filed with the governor’s office.  In the Matter of White, 499 S.E.2d 813 (South Carolina 1998).