Case Title: Miss. Jud. Performance Com'n v. Peyton

Citation: 555 So. 2d 1036

Docket Number: 89-0827

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1990-01-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
555 So. 2d 1036 (1990) MISSISSIPPI JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE COMMISSION v. A.J. PEYTON, Justice Court Judge. No. 89-0827. Supreme Court of Mississippi. January 10, 1990. Luther T. Brantley, III, Jackson, for petitioner. John S. Holmes, Yazoo City, Thomas E. Royals, Royals Hartung & Davis, Jackson, for respondent. En Banc. HAWKINS, Presiding Justice, for the Court: A.J. Peyton was born in Washington County, and when a young man moved in 1949 to Yazoo City where he was employed as embalmer and mortician at the Century Funeral Home, a business started by his stepfather, T.J. Huddleston. Huddleston was also the grandfather of Mike Espy, who grew up in Yazoo City. The two were very close, Espy writing that Peyton had "raised him." In 1983 Peyton was elected justice court judge for the southern district in Yazoo County and re-elected in 1987. In 1986 a complaint was filed with the Mississippi Judicial Performance Commission concerning Peyton, but was dismissed without disciplinary proceedings. A commission letter to Peyton did, however, warn him that he should not under any circumstances handle money from fines. The reason for this warning was that some of the individuals who had received tickets would either go by his home or place of business at night or on week ends and ask him what the fine was, and then pay him. It should also be noted that in the 1986 complaint there was no charge that Peyton had not in fact delivered all fine money he received to the justice court clerk. On January 9, 1989, a complaint was filed by the Commission against Peyton charging the following infractions in office: Either by stipulation or testimony from Peyton, who was the only person who testified, the record reveals the following facts as to each of these charges: At the hearing Peyton had no recollection of this matter. By letters to the Commission, the sheriff, the county attorney and district attorney all attested to the high moral character and dedication of Peyton in carrying out the duties of his office. The sheriff also corroborated the circumstances under which Peyton had received the bail bond money, a practice which he said had been discontinued. At the time of the hearing, the sheriff's *1038 office had a lockbox at the jail to keep such funds until they could be delivered to the justice court clerk. Based upon the hearing committee's findings and recommendations, the Commission recommended the following: This Court is deeply appreciative of the dedicated service rendered by the members of the Mississippi Judicial Performance Commission and the judges and citizens called upon to hear complaints. We give great deference to their findings. See, In re (Lloyd) Anderson, 412 So. 2d 743 (Miss. 1982); In re Garner, 466 So. 2d 884 (Miss. 1985). This Court is also charged, however, to render independent judgment on our own. In re Collins, 524 So. 2d 553 (Miss. 1987); In re Garner, supra. We note firsthand that none of the charges involve any hint of dishonesty or an attempt to infringe upon either a defendant's rights or the state's responsibility in administering criminal justice. Peyton's otherwise exemplary service in carrying out his duties should not be overlooked in determining the appropriate sanctions to be imposed upon him. See, In re Baker, 535 So. 2d 47 (Miss. 1988). As to charges 1, 2, and 4, we are inclined to accept Peyton's explanation. Of course, as we have stated in In re Bailey, 541 So. 2d 1036, 1039 (Miss. 1989), a justice court judge should have no different standard than any other member of the judiciary on matters involving honesty or in which substantial rights of any of the parties before him are involved. For conduct harmful to parties litigant before him or inimical to the dignity of the judiciary, he will not be permitted the luxury of an excuse that he was only a layman. In re Quick, 553 So. 2d 522 (Miss. 1989). This being said, neither is it fair in a few isolated and widely scattered cases of procedure, in which no harm whatever was intended or has resulted therefrom, to hold a conscientious lay judge to quite the same technical standard as a law school graduate who has passed the state bar examination. Put another way, if this were a case evidencing a character flaw, an abuse of lawful authority, or some party litigant had been harmed, the discretion we have would not be exercised in his favor. In re Bailey, supra; In re Mullen 530 So. 2d 175 (Miss. 1988); In re Collins, 524 So. 2d 553 (Miss. 1987); In re Hearn, 515 So. 2d 1225 (Miss. 1987); In re Chambliss, 516 So. 2d 506 (Miss. 1987). We should not ignore that Peyton has handled several hundred cases befitting the dignity of his office to the degree that the sheriff and county attorney of his county, and the district attorney all commended him. While carelessness in some degree in carrying out some of his duties is evident in the 2nd and 4th charges, there was no guile or deceit, or an exaggerated exercise of authority. Charges 1, 2, and 4 are therefore dismissed. Peyton's engaging in political activities over an extended period does not present us with some isolated instance. It cannot have escaped him that he was violating the judicial canons by continuing to serve on the county executive committee of the Democratic Party. Without this, his other political activity would justify a private reprimand, but coupled with his activities over several years, he should be publicly censured. See: Canon 7A(1)(a), (b), (c); (2), (4). As to the final charge, seeking assistance for a person charged with a traffic violation in another court, this being but one *1039 instance which occurred shortly after he was elected to his first term, we agree with the Commission to a private reprimand. REMANDED TO THE COMMISSION FOR PROCEEDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THIS OPINION. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., DAN M. LEE, P.J., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, ANDERSON and BLASS, JJ., concur. PITTMAN, J., dissents without written opinion.