How severely a judge is disciplined depends on the nature of the offense and other factors, said Cynthia Gray, director of the American Judicature Society's Center for Judicial Conduct Organizations. The Chicago-based center is a national clearinghouse for information about judicial ethics and discipline. Judges convicted of traffic offenses, including driving drunk, typically receive the least severe form of a public sanction, such as a reprimand, Gray said. Judges who didn't abuse their office usually receive light punishment, she added. In South Carolina, sanctions for judges who break ethics rules range from a reprimand to removal from office.
Reprimands can be either private or public.
Few judges are publicly disciplined in South Carolina, a State newspaper analysis earlier this year found. Toal said Wednesday she normally wouldn't require other judges to contact the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which makes findings of ethical violations, if they were involved in minor traffic offenses. Toal wouldn't say whether she had broken any ethics rules, or what her punishment might be if violations are found. She said she didn't want to influence the judicial conduct commission. The state Supreme Court has the final say on any discipline, though Toal said she didn't see any conflict in interest if her case went that far.