Opinion ID: 1108772
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether Pittman should be publicly reprimanded and assessed costs in the amount of $100.

Text: ¶ 13. In accordance with Section 177A of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, as amended, and Rule 10 of the Rules of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, the Commission recommends disciplinary sanctions, and this Court, upon a review of the record, determines the appropriate sanction. Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Fletcher, 686 So.2d 1075, 1078 (Miss.1996). For this case, the Commission has recommended a public reprimand and assessment of costs. ¶ 14. 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. Miss. Const. § 177A. Furthermore, this Court consistently has assessed costs of the proceeding. E.g., Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Thompson, 972 So.2d 582 (Miss.2007); Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Fowlkes, 967 So.2d 12 (Miss.2007); Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Cowart, 936 So.2d 343 (Miss.2006); Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Williams, 880 So.2d 343 (Miss.2004); State Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Carr, 786 So.2d 1055 (Miss.2001). ¶ 15. Six factors must be considered when determining proper sanctions in judicial misconduct proceedings. Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Gibson, 883 So.2d 1155, 1158 (Miss.2004).
¶ 16. Pittman served as municipal court judge for the City of Hattiesburg for six-and-one-half years. Nothing in the record indicates any other actions or deeds by Pittman while in public service.
¶ 17. In Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance v. Atkinson, 645 So.2d 1331 (Miss.1994), Judge Boyd P. Atkinson, in his capacity as a municipal court judge, pro tempore, held a preliminary hearing and set bail for a criminal defendant. Atkinson, 645 So.2d at 1332-33. Atkinson then represented the defendant in his petition to reduce the bond, which Atkinson himself, acting as judge, previously had set. Id. at 1333. This Court held that Atkinson's representation on the petition to reduce bond conflicted with his earlier actions as municipal judge. Id. at 1336. Atkinson was publicly reprimanded and assessed the cost of appeal. Id. at 1337.
¶ 18. Pittman's conduct gave the appearance of impropriety because he signed court documents and set bond for Moreno as a municipal judge, and subsequently served as Moreno's attorney on the same charges. He also failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
¶ 19. In July 2004, in an unrelated matter, Pittman signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which he acknowledged that it is improper to non-adjudicate a DUI case with a blood-alcohol level of .08% and above, or where there is no blood-alcohol-content reading available to the court. The Commission privately admonished Pittman for such violation.
¶ 20. This Court has found the existence of moral turpitude in recent cases. Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Gordon, 955 So.2d 300, 305-306 (Miss. 2007) (fourteen instances of ticket-fixing); Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Sanford, 941 So.2d 209, 216-18 (Miss. 2006) (at the judge's request, sheriff informed arresting officer in DUI case not to appear at a court hearing so that judge could dismiss case for failure to prosecute, and the case was dismissed); Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Britton, 936 So.2d 898, 906 (Miss.2006) (six complaints ranging from ex parte communications with parties to setting aside a judgment entered by another judge); Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Cowart, 936 So.2d 343, 350 (Miss.2006) (three instances involving ex parte communications, resulting in judge remanding traffic tickets to files). ¶ 21. Contrary to the egregious conduct of the judges in the above-cited cases, we agree with the Commission that Pittman's actions, while highly improper, do not rise to the level of moral turpitude. Compare Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Thompson, 972 So.2d 582, 589 (Miss.2008) (judge attempted to interfere with the issuance of an arrest warrant). `Moral turpitude includes, but is not limited to, actions which involve interference with the administration of justice, misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, bribery, extortion, or other such actions which bring the judiciary into disrepute.' Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Justice Court Judge T.T., 922 So.2d 781, 786 n. 4 (Miss.2006) (citing Gibson, 883 So.2d at 1158 n. 2); see also Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Sanford, 941 So.2d 209, 217 (Miss. 2006) (includes upholding and respecting some of the basic tenets of daily living in a civil society). Although Pittman's actions were prejudicial to the administration of justice, he did not attempt to impede or interfere with the judicial process.
¶ 22. Pittman acknowledged his inappropriate conduct by entering into the Agreed Statement of Facts and Proposed Recommendation with the Commission. Additionally, Pittman has resigned as municipal court judge. But see Fletcher, 686 So.2d 1075 (this Court ordered a public reprimand and assessed costs even though the municipal judge in that case had resigned).