Opinion ID: 1854995
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 32

Heading: Contact with Rhonda Flower

Text: The second witness respondent contacted was Flower. During a recess in a court proceeding in July 1996, respondent invited Flower into his chambers and told her that he had no intention of treating her differently in light of her testifying against him. Respondent then gave Flower several compliments on her legal abilities. Flower did not feel that respondent was trying to threaten or coerce her to change her testimony but that she did get the impression that respondent was trying to ingratiate himself with her. In addition, Flower stated that respondent had never given her compliments before. Respondent agrees with Flower's recollection of their meeting in the above manner but asserts he made the comments to Flower to put her at ease considering she was going to testify against him. The master found that respondent's contact with Flower was in violation of Canons 1, 1(A), 2, and 2(A) of the Code of Judicial Conduct, and § 24-722(6) and Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-919 (Reissue 1995).