Title: In re Assistant Judge Steady

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

ENTRY_ORDER.93-223; 161 Vt. 636; 641 A.2d 117

[Filed 30-Mar-1994]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 93-223

                              MARCH TERM, 1994


 In re Assistant Judge             }          APPEALED FROM:
   Bernard Steady                  }
                                   }
                                   }          Judicial Conduct Board
                                   }
                                   }
                                   }
                                   }          DOCKET NO. 91-127


              In the above entitled cause the Clerk will enter:

      In October 1990, then Assistant Judge Bernard Steady purchased a paid
 political advertisement, published in a Grand Isle newspaper, supporting
 various candidates for national, statewide, and local offices.  On January
 1, 1991, Judge Steady left the bench, having previously chosen not to run
 for reelection.  In April 1991, a judicial conduct complaint was filed
 against him, and the judicial conduct board (JCB) subsequently found that
 placing the ad violated Canon 7A(1)(b) of the code of judicial conduct,
 which states that a judge may not "publicly endorse a candidate for public
 office."  The board divided on the appropriate sanction and made no recom-
 mendation on that issue, but forwarded its final disposition report for
 action by this Court.  Rules of Supreme Court for Disciplinary Control of
 Judges, Rule 11(1).

                               I. Jurisdiction

      A preliminary issue is whether this Court has jurisdiction to
 discipline Judge Steady for conduct committed during his judicial tenure if
 no complaint was filed against him until after he left the bench.  In In re
 Wheel, 148 Vt. 632, 632-33,