Opinion ID: 2640090
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Domestic Violence Case

Text: {12} This matter occurred in May and June 2007, after Judge Rodella had been elected magistrate judge. The Commission found the following facts. Judge Rodella met with the complaining witness, who had been subpoenaed by the State to appear and testify in her husband's trial. In an ex parte conversation, Judge Rodella told the witness that if she did not want to testify at her husband's trial, there would be no adverse legal consequences. The witness subsequently told the victim's advocate from the district attorney's office that Judge Rodella had led her to believe that she could decide for herself whether or not to testify at her husband's trial. On the day of the trial, the witness failed to appear, and the assistant district attorney informed the judge that the district attorney's office had been informed of an ex parte conversation between the witness and a judge who had told her that she did not have to appear. Judge Rodella indicated he was recusing from the case and began drafting a document recusing himself, which he signed and showed to the assistant district attorney. The state's other witnesses then understood they could leave. Later, however, when the complaining witness appeared, Judge Rodella recalled the case and dismissed it without prejudice. The assistant district attorney objected and asked to see the recusal document, but was denied access to it. When the recusal document was subsequently produced, it was different from the document reviewed by the assistant district attorney. {13} After reviewing the record, we determine that the findings concerning the ex parte conversation between Judge Rodella and the state's complaining witness were supported by clear and convincing evidence in the form of the testimony of the court clerk and the complaining witness. We also determine that the Commission's findings concerning Judge Rodella's recusal and the altered recusal document were supported by clear and convincing evidence in the form of the testimony of the assistant district attorney. {14} We find it significant that Judge Rodella's version of what occurred differed from the accounts given by the other witnesses. Judge Rodella acknowledged meeting with the complaining witness in his courtroom. However, whereas the victim and the court clerk testified that, initially, Judge Rodella and the witness were alone in the courtroom, Judge Rodella stated that his clerk was present for the entire meeting. And whereas his clerk testified that she had delivered the domestic violence case file to Judge Rodella and that the judge had asked her if the court had subpoenaed the complaining witness, Judge Rodella testified that he had told his clerk to check if there was a file, but that he did not recall her bringing a file to him, noting that he would not have spoken with the witness if he had known she was a witness in a case. In contrast to the testimony of the other witnesses, Judge Rodella testified that it was not until several minutes after the complaining witness started talking that he learned her husband was a defendant in a domestic violence matter in magistrate court. In addition, the complaining witness testified, very credibly, that Judge Rodella told her that it would be up to her whether to testify at trial, that she knew her husband best, and that he had never seen anyone arrested for not showing up. Judge Rodella, however, could not recall telling her she could ignore a subpoena to appear as a state's witness at trial. Instead, he testified that he told her she would have to discuss the matter with the district attorney's office and that whatever decision she made about going to see the district attorney should be made in the best interests of her family. However, the complaining witness had no memory of Judge Rodella telling her to talk to the district attorney's office. And she testified that it was clear to her that if she did not appear, the case would be dismissed. {15} In addition, Judge Rodella's version of what subsequently occurred on the day of the trial differed from the account given by the assistant district attorney. Judge Rodella testified that when the complaining witness failed to appear, the assistant district attorney requested a continuance and the defense attorney moved to dismiss the case. The defense attorney's account of what occurred, however, did not mention that he moved to dismiss, and the assistant district attorney testified that no such motion was made and that he did not have time to request a continuance. In addition, Judge Rodella testified that after the assistant district attorney reported that he had been informed of ex parte communications between the victim and a judge, he drafted some bench notes, which he showed to the assistant district attorney, indicating he was considering recusing even though the assistant district attorney had not named him directly. The assistant district attorney's recollection of these bench notes was different. He testified that the document he had been shown stated that the judge had recused, and not that he was only considering recusing, and that the judge had told him he could send his witnesses home. {16} Thus, the assistant district attorney testified that he was shocked when the case was recalled, and he subsequently asked to see a copy of the document he had been shown and which he testified had been placed in the court file. He was told, however, that it was only bench notes and not a part of the record. Subsequently, a recusal document was produced for the Commission, which indicated the assistant district attorney had moved for a continuance, that the defense attorney had moved to dismiss, and that Judge Rodella had considered recusing but changed his mind. The assistant district attorney testified, however, that this was not the same document he had reviewed and that he had been told it was an edited copy. {17} We agree with the Commission's determination that Judge Rodella's testimony in many respects was not credible. As the Commission stated, [T]o have accepted [Judge Rodella's] testimony as true, the Commission would have needed to find that all of the other witnesses ... perjured themselves. We also agree with the Commission's determination that the testimony of the other witnesses was credible. And we agree with the Commission's conclusions that Judge Rodella's conduct in this matter violated the following provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct: Rule 21-100 (requiring a judge to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary); Rule 21-200(A) (requiring a judge to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety and to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary); Rule 21-300(B)(7) (prohibiting a judge from initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte communications concerning a pending or impending proceeding); Rule 21-300(B)(8) (requiring a judge to dispose of all judicial matters promptly, efficiently, and fairly); and Rule 21-400(A)(1) (requiring a judge to recuse when the judge has a personal bias concerning a party or personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding). We also agree, particularly in light of the lack of credibility in Judge Rodella's testimony, that Judge Rodella's conduct constituted willful misconduct in office. {18} We are not persuaded by Judge Rodella's argument that the charge of evidence tampering violated his right to due process. Although the record shows that the notice of formal proceedings was not amended to conform to proof of evidence tampering, as is permitted under Judicial Standards Commission Rule 25, our review of the record shows that Judge Rodella raised no objections at the hearing to any questioning on the topic of tampering with evidence. This issue, therefore, was not preserved for review. See Rule 11-103(A)(1) NMRA; Judicial Standards Commission Rules 22(A) and 23(A).