Opinion ID: 1706997
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Perform Duties

Text: ¶ 29. According to Canon 3B(1) of the Code of Judicial Conduct of Mississippi Judges, A judge should diligently discharge his administrative responsibilities, maintain professional competence in judicial administration, and facilitate the performance of the administrative responsibilities of other judges and court officials. Furthermore, Miss.Code Ann. § 9-11-11 (1991) states in relevant part, Upon disposition, each record shall be signed by the justice court judge. Judge Spencer has failed to meet this requirement. At the time the complaint was filed Spencer had failed to dispose of 334 cases. The transcript of the hearing reveals that Spencer's attorney checked out these files one week prior to the hearing before the Commission and Spencer signed those records so that the cases could be closed. According to Justice Clerk Maness there were still approximately seven hundred cases awaiting final disposition by Spencer at the time of the hearing. One week prior to the hearing, Spencer acted on some twenty affidavits which had been assigned to him since May 16, 1996. ¶ 30. Judge Spencer admitted to recusing himself from forty four cases that were assigned to him. When questioned regarding his reasons for recusal, Spencer had no recollection as to the majority of the cases. The ones he could remember were mainly due to his own involvement in ex parte communications with the litigants. These recusals created additional hardship on Judge Moore and Prentiss County. ¶ 31. Spencer's only defense for failing to dispose of the 334 cases awaiting his signature and his failure to act upon affidavits is that he did not have access to the files, although he admitted he knew that the files needed to be signed. In his brief he explains that no prejudice resulted against Prentiss County, since Maness testified that all money had been received on the cases and deposited with the county, and all abstracts had been sent to the Department of Public Safety. This explanation misses the point. The alleged misconduct of Judge Spencer is his failure to fulfill his statutorily required duties, not the lack of prejudice to the county for his failure to do so. The Commission acknowledged that there does exist a personality problem between the judge and Clerk Maness. This is evident from the entire record. However the record reveals that in many instances Judge Spencer either created or exacerbated the conflict. Also the testimony of Deputy Clerk Collette James, Deputy Clerk Martha Young, and Justice Court Clerk Maness contradict Spencer's assertion that he was denied access to the court files. Each witness testified to the fact that Spencer had full access to the court files he needed to do his job. ¶ 32. In Mississippi Judicial Performance Commission v. Hopkins, 590 So.2d 857 (Miss.1991), this Court discussed a judge's failure to timely sign one court docket. Hopkins, 590 So.2d at 864. The Court held that the evidence was clear and convincing that the Judge did not fulfill his statutorily mandated requirement. Id. at 864. Judge Spencer, like Judge Hopkins, denies that he committed any wrongdoing. He instead offers explanations and excuses for every act. Id. at 866. Spencer's conduct was in violation of Miss.Code Ann. § 9-11-11 (1991) and Canons 1, 2A, 2B, 3A(1), 3A(4), 3A(5), and 3B(1) of the Code of Judicial Conduct for Mississippi Judges. Spencer failed to promptly dispose of the court's business and discharge his administrative duties. He allowed his relationship with Maness to affect his duties. He engaged in ex parte communications which required his recusal in 44 cases within a short period of time. By clear and convincing evidence we find that Judge Spencer is in violation of § 177A of the Mississippi Constitution by his willful misconduct which has brought the judicial office into disrepute.