Opinion ID: 1671490
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the respondent should be publicly reprimanded 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 Supreme Court. The Commission has recommended that the Respondent, Municipal Court Judge Cardell Fletcher, be publicly reprimanded and assessed the costs of this proceeding. In accordance with Section 177A of the Mississippi Constitution and Rule 10 of the Rules of the Commission, as interpreted by this Court, the Commission recommends disciplinary sanctions and the Court, based upon a review of the entire record, determines the appropriate sanction. As the Court stated in In re Quick, supra at 527: In judicial misconduct proceedings, this Court is the trier of fact, and it has sole power to impose sanctions. Garner, 466 So.2d at 885; Collins, 524 So.2d at 556. Although this Court has an obligation to conduct an independent inquiry, it nonetheless gives great weight to the finding of the Commission, which has had the opportunity to observe the demeanor of the witnesses. Garner, supra, at 885; Collins, supra at 556. See also, Mississippi Judicial Performance Comm'n v. Walker, 565 So.2d 1117 (Miss. 1990). As previously noted, the sanctions available to the Court include removal from office, suspension, fine and public censure or reprimand. The Court stated in Mississippi Judicial Performance Comm'n v. Walker, supra , The sanction imposed should be consistent with other like cases and `ought to fit the offense.' In re Bailey, 541 So.2d 1036, 1039 (Miss. 1989). The Commission has recommended a public reprimand and assessment of costs. The Respondent has agreed to this recommendation and has joined in the Commission's motion to accept the recommended sanctions. In addition, the Respondent has resigned his position as Municipal Judge for Shelby, Mississippi, where the misconduct occurred. He continues to serve as a Bolivar County Justice Court Judge. The proposed sanction is consistent with the elements as to the imposition of sanctions as found in In re Baker, 535 So.2d 47 (Miss. 1988), and Mississippi Judicial Performance Comm'n v. Walker, 565 So.2d 1117 (Miss. 1990). The recommendation for a public reprimand is supported by the facts of this inquiry and is hereby approved and adopted by this Court.