Opinion ID: 1706447
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: whether the judge should be publicly reprimanded and fined $500 pursuant to section 177a of the mississippi constitution.

Text: Section 177A of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, as amended, provides that upon recommendation of the Commission, a judge may be removed, suspended, fined, publicly censured or publicly reprimanded by the Court. The Commission has recommended that Justice Court Judge Seal be publicly reprimanded and fined $500. The Commission bases its recommendation upon the allegation that Judge Seal's conduct constitutes willful misconduct in office, willful and persistent failure to perform the duties of the office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the judicial office into disrepute. We said in In re Quick, 553 So.2d 522 (Miss. 1989): Willful misconduct in office is the improper or wrongful use of power of his office by a judge acting intentionally or with gross unconcern for his conduct and generally in bad faith. It involves more than error of judgment or a mere lack of diligence. Necessarily, the term would encompass conduct involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption, and also any knowing misuse of the office, whatever the motive. However, these elements are not necessary to a finding of bad faith. A specific intent to use the powers of the judicial office to accomplish a purpose which the judge knew or should have known was beyond the legitimate exercise of his authority constitutes bad faith ... Willful misconduct in office of necessity is conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute. However, a judge may also, through negligence or ignorance not amounting to bad faith, behave in a manner prejudicial to the administration of justice so as to bring the judicial office into disrepute. In re Anderson, 412 So.2d 743, 745 (Miss. 1982) (quoting In re Nowell, 293 N.C. 235, 237 S.E.2d 246, 255 (1977) (emphasis in original); see also, In re Garner, 466 So.2d 884, 885 (Miss. 1985); In re Stewart, 490 So.2d 882, 884 (Miss. 1986); In re Collins, 524 So.2d 553 (Miss. 1987). Moreover, this Court can generally recognize examples of such conduct when presented before the Court. In re Anderson, 412 So.2d at 752 (Hawkins, J., specially concurring). Id. at 524-25. This Court has consistently stated on numerous occasions that ignorance of the law is not a valid defense. When he assume[d] the office of Justice Court Judge in this state, he [accepted] the responsibility of becoming learned in the law. In re Inquiry Concerning Justice Court Judge C.L. Quick, 553 So.2d 522, 526 (Miss. 1989) citing In re Bailey, 541 So.2d 1036, 1039 (Miss. 1989). Likewise, the fact that Judge Seal is a layman is no excuse. Id. Though he was in office a relatively short period of time and his predecessor began many of the practices in the Commission's complaint, these facts do not mitigate the expansive degree of misconduct perpetrated by Judge Seal to a private reprimand. We agree that Judge Seal's conduct is sufficient to warrant a $500 fine and a public reprimand. Accordingly, we adopt the Commission's recommendation. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN and PITTMAN, JJ., concur. McRAE, J., concurs in result only.