Opinion ID: 1737782
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: formal charge i(d)

Text: In Formal Charge I(D), the Commission charged that Judge Emanuel's refusal to timely sign routine ex parte orders denied litigants access to his court in three cases. In Bank One, Louisiana, N.A. v. Unopened Succession of Ilene Stevenson, No. 417,546(F), Judge Emanuel failed and/or refused to confirm a default judgment where a curator had failed to file an answer. After the curator filed an answer, Premier Bank filed a motion for summary judgment and Premier Bank's attorney claimed that Judge Emanuel did not set the motion for hearing despite several calls to his office. Subsequently, the case was reassigned to another section. Judge Emanuel testified that he was never presented with this case. In Cassibry v. Jimerson, No. 419,202(F), plaintiff's counsel claims he and his partner called and visited Judge Emanuel's office several times to get him to sign an ex parte order in an executory process suit. Approximately three weeks after the order was submitted, Judge Emanuel made arrangements for another judge to sign the order because he was out of town. Judge Emanuel denied that the attorneys called or visited his office and claimed that he was at a judicial conference when the other judge signed the order. In Ford Motor Credit Company v. Roberts, No. 411,910, on December 15, 1995, the creditor submitted a request for a writ of seizure alleging that the debtor was two payments. On December 21, 1995, Judge Emanuel refused to sign the order based on his belief that it was unfair because the debtor was only two months in arrears but advised the lawyer that another judge could sign the order. Judge Scott signed the order on December 27, 1995. The Commission found that this charge was proven by clear and convincing evidence to the extent that Judge Emanuel failed and/or refused as the civil order signing judge to timely sign routine ex parte orders in the above cases, constituting violations of Canons 1, 2 A, and 3 A(7) and constituting willful or persistent failure to perform judicial duties, equating to willful misconduct relating to the judge's official duty, under 1974 La. Const. art. V, § 25(C).