Opinion ID: 1696005
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether a public reprimand, $500.00 fine, and payment of the costs of the proceeding is an appropriate sanction.

Text: ¶ 27. The Commission argues that the judge's misconduct in these cases was extremely serious. It states that a single instance of delay might have warranted a private reprimand, but the pattern established here warrants a public reprimand. The judge only takes issue with the imposition of a public reprimand. The judge argues that the misconduct does not warrant this sanction, but the judge is silent as to the fine and imposition of costs. ¶ 28. This Court has established guidelines for determining when a public reprimand is warranted. In Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance v. Walker, 565 So.2d 1117, 1125 (Miss. 1990), this Court articulated those guidelines: (1) The length and character of the judge's public service; (2) Positive contributions made by the judge to the courts and the community; (3) The lack of judicial precedent on the incident in issue; (4) Commitment to fairness and innovative procedural form on the part of the judge; (5) The magnitude of the offense; (6) The number of persons affected; and (7) Whether moral turpitude was involved. (citing In re Baker, 535 So.2d 47, 54 (Miss. 1988)). The Commission also refers this Court to two opinions from sister jurisdictions concerning sanctions for judicial misconduct, portions of which are worth echoing here: The purpose of sanctions in cases of judicial discipline is to preserve the integrity and independence of the judiciary and to restore and reaffirm public confidence in the administration of justice. The discipline we impose must be designed to announce publicly our recognition that there has been misconduct; it must be sufficient to deter respondent from again engaging in such conduct; and it must discourage others from engaging in similar conduct in the future. Thus, we discipline a judge not for purposes of vengeance or retribution, but to instruct the public and all judges, ourselves included, of the importance of the function performed by judges in a free society. We discipline a judge to reassure the public that judicial misconduct is neither permitted nor condoned. We discipline a judge to reassure the citizens of Nebraska that the judiciary of their state is dedicated to the principle that ours is a government of laws and not of men. See, Disciplinary Proceeding Against Buchanan, 100 Wash.2d 396, 669 P.2d 1248 (1983); Matter of Ross, 428 A.2d 858 (Me.1981). In re Kneifl, 217 Neb. 472, 351 N.W.2d 693, 700 (Neb.1984). In determining an appropriate discipline in cases of judicial misconduct, our primary concern is to provide sanctions sufficient to restore and maintain the dignity and honor of the judicial office and to protect the public against future excesses. Each case must be judged in light of its own particular circumstances. In re Harned, 357 N.W.2d 300, 302-03 (Iowa 1984). The Commission also analogizes judicial discipline to attorney discipline and notes their similarities. See, e.g., Miss. Bar v. Hall, 612 So.2d 1075, 1077-78 (Miss.1992). The similarities are useful in determining an appropriate sanction, but this Court is not bound by the precedents in attorney discipline matters when confronted with judicial discipline. ¶ 29. The Commission submits that there is no specific case law in Mississippi concerning discipline for failing to enter orders in a timely fashion, nor does the Commission point to any other jurisdiction for support of a public reprimand. We can find no similar case in our jurisprudence; therefore, we turn to other jurisdictions for guidance. ¶ 30. The Louisiana Supreme Court publicly censured a trial court judge for failing to enter judgments in two cases and for failing to report them taken under advisement as required by statute. In re Tuck, 683 So.2d 1214 (La.1996). Twenty-one months passed between trial and entry of judgment in one case, almost six years passed between trial and entry of judgment in the other. Id. at 1216. The Court utilized a commendable list of six factors to consider when determining whether a trial court judge should be sanctioned for delays in entering judgment. Id. at 1218. Concerning a judge's reliance upon lawyers for submitting appropriate orders for consideration, the Louisiana Supreme Court stated: Moreover, because lawyers frequently are the dilatory ones and tend, in explaining to their clients, to blame judges for the delay, it is important for judges in most cases to abide by the time standards guidelines, especially in the trial court where the court's primary function is finding facts and applying the applicable law, and not one of making weighty pronouncements of law binding throughout the circuit. Id. The determining factor for imposing the public censure was the failures to report the cases as taken under advisement. Id. at 1219. ¶ 31. On the other hand, the Court of Appeals of New York chose not to impose a public censure or charge with the costs of the appeal a trial court judge whose delays in rendering decisions ranged from seven months to nine years in eight cases pending before him. In re Greenfield, 76 N.Y.2d 293, 558 N.Y.S.2d 881, 557 N.E.2d 1177 (1990). The Court said, a Judge's failure to promptly dispose of pending matters generally does not warrant `judicial discipline but rather administrative correction' (quoting In re Alvino, 100 N.J. 92, 494 A.2d 1014, 1016). In re Greenfield, 558 N.Y.S.2d 881, 557 N.E.2d at 1179. The New York court further stated: We have concluded that generally these matters can and should be resolved in the administrative setting and that the more severe sanctions available to the Commission should only be deemed appropriate and necessary when the Judge has defied administrative directives or has attempted to subvert the system by, for instance, falsifying, concealing or persistently refusing to file records indicating delays. Id. at 1179-80. We find these cases represent the spectrum of options available to us in this case and look to them, and others like them, for direction as to any punishment we may impose. See also Russell G. Donaldson, Removal or Discipline of State Judge for Neglect of, or Failure to Perform, Judicial Duties, 87 A.L.R.4th 727, § 8 (2004). ¶ 32. Here the judge served one term as a chancery court judge. [5] The record does not reflect further public service although the judge's brief addresses this issue. The record likewise does not contain any information concerning positive contributions the judge has made to the community, but the judge again addresses this issue in the brief. The Commission acknowledges that this misconduct does not involve moral turpitude. The evidence of misconduct in the record does not demonstrate a lack of fairness, but it does reveal poor procedural form on behalf of the court. The magnitude of the offense is hard to measure, and the record contains little more than the complaint as evidence in regards to this, but the parties in the cases discussed above were obviously affected as well as other persons incidentally affected by the delays. The fact that several delays prompting complaints occurred within a short amount of time amplifies the magnitude of the misconduct because it demonstrates a recurring pattern of neglect. ¶ 33. The judge's reliance upon other attorneys to submit adequate orders for entry does not excuse the judge's misconduct. These facts we treat as mitigating evidence of the judge's culpability, but we also again note that Canon 3(A)(5) clearly imposed upon the judge the obligation to expeditiously decide pending cases and to insist that lawyers timely submit proposed orders for entry. ¶ 34. The judge argues that public reprimands are not appropriate for judges who have only committed one type of offence. Cf. In re Baker, 535 So.2d at 53 (A survey of recent Mississippi judicial disciplinary cases (see Appendix) reveals that the sanction of public reprimand is imposed for more than one offense. Only one case, In re William Anderson, involved a public reprimand for only one type of offense. Even in this case, Judge Anderson failed on three occasions to issue writs of garnishment after receiving filing fees to do so. We find no case in which one isolated instance of impropriety warranted public censure.) (citing In re Anderson, 447 So.2d at 1275) (emphasis in original). Of the cases the Commission cites to support a public reprimand for judges who have failed to perform their duties, both involve multiple offences of different types. See Spencer, 725 So.2d 171 (offensive comments, ex parte communications, failures to sign cases and act on affidavits); In re Quick, 553 So.2d 522 (did not report dispositions of 28 D.U.I. cases or 552 traffic tickets). We have previously concluded that this misconduct was not done willfully. The judge is no longer on the bench. Finally, the remedial steps taken by the judge after the time period covering this misconduct appear to have solved the problem. ¶ 35. However, the harm done to the public perception of the judiciary is tangible and not easily counteracted when justice is delayed. While the judge is no longer on the bench, it is important for the parties to litigation in our courts and those incidentally affected to know that delays between hearings and entry of orders should be avoided so as to restore and maintain confidence in the judiciary. ¶ 36. The record in this case shows that the judge failed to maintain control of the docket and schedule adequate time for writing and issuing opinions and orders. Sanction of this misconduct is appropriate in this case. However, we conclude that the misconduct was not done willfully as evidenced by (1) the quick remedial steps taken by the judge before and after receiving the notices of complaints in two cases, (2) the reliance upon attorneys in two other cases to furnish orders, (3) the delay caused by the production of the transcript in one case, and (4) the remedial steps taken the following year to schedule adequate time for writing and issuing orders. Finding this misconduct not to be willful, we find that the appropriate sanction is a private reprimand with the costs of this appeal taxed to the judge.