Opinion ID: 2467000
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the commission's advisory findings

Text: The Commission's Conclusion of Law No. 4 reads as follows: The action of Judge Voorhees in issuing the orders in question, and the inevitable publicity that followed, add another sorry chapter to the history of internal bickering which has marred the image of the Circuit Court of the Twenty-first Judicial Circuit in recent years. See Gregory v. Corrigan, 685 S.W.2d 840 (Mo. banc 1985); Nolan v. Stussie, 695 S.W.2d 869 (Mo. banc 1985); and, Rules of the Circuit Court for the Twenty-first Judicial Circuit, 702 S.W.2d 457 (Mo. banc 1985); and Administrative Orders of the Presiding Judge of the Twenty-first Judicial Circuit, No. 67950 (Mo. banc 1986), for examples of controversy between the judges of the circuit that have received widespread publicity. Recommendation No. 2 reads as follows: The commission further recommends that if the judges of the Twenty-first Judicial Circuit are unwilling or unable to assure the people of their area the orderly administration of justice, that the Supreme Court, as suggested in In Re: Rules of the Circuit Court, Id. at 460, relieve any then serving presiding judge of his or her duties and assign a neutral judge to supervise the circuit, subject to the approval of the Supreme Court, until such time as the orderly administration of justice in the circuit can be assured. The Conclusion and the Recommendation are inappropriately included in the Commission's report. The Commission's sole authority in discipline cases is set out in Art. V, Sec. 24(3), reading as follows: Upon recommendation by an affirmative vote of at least four members of the commission, the supreme court en banc, upon concurring with such recommendation, shall remove, suspend, discipline or reprimand any judge of any court or any member of any judicial commission or of this commission, for the commission of a crime, or for misconduct, habitual drunkenness, willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency or any offense involving moral turpitude, or oppression in office. No action taken under this section shall be a bar to or prevent any other action authorized by law. Art. V, Sec. 24(8) states very clearly that the Commission is not to undertake additional duties, in the following language: Additional duties shall not be imposed by law or supreme court rule upon the commission on retirement, removal and discipline. We well know the agonizing problems of the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit. We have tried to find solutions, in the exercise of the supervisory control conferred upon us by Art. V, Sec. 4. [12] The judges of this Court have not always agreed. We should be willing to receive and to consider suggestions. But suggestions by the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline, in the course of an official transmission, are not in order, because they exceed the Commission's limited function. The cases holding that a grand jury has no authority to issue a report, apart from such indictments as it sees fit to return, are in point. See In re Interim Report of Grand Jury, 553 S.W.2d 479 (Mo. banc 1977); In re Report of Grand Jury Impaneled on June 22, 1979 in Shelby County, 612 S.W.2d 864 (Mo.App.1981); In re Regular Report of Grand Jury, 585 S.W.2d 76 (Mo.App.1979). Similar considerations apply to the Commission. We believe that it is important to comment as we have for the future guidance of the Commission. If the Commission acts outside of its limited function its members may form predilections and tentative conclusions which tend to impede their ability to deal with ensuing disciplinary matters with total detachment. The appropriate correction is to strike the Commission's Conclusion of Law No. 4 and Recommendation No. 2.