Opinion ID: 1689390
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the respondent should be publicly reprimanded and fined $861.50 as proposed by the commission.

Text: ¶ 11. Article 6, 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. The Commission has recommended that Justice Court Judge Sherlene B. Boykin be publicly reprimanded, fined $861.50, and assessed the costs of this proceeding. Judge Boykin has agreed to this recommendation, has joined in the Commission's motion to accept the recommended sanctions, and has already paid the fine amount into the General Fund of the State of Mississippi. ¶ 12. Judges have been publicly reprimanded and fined in the past for the same or similar conduct of the ticket-fixing committed by Judge Boykin. See, e.g., Mississippi Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Bowen, 662 So.2d 551 (Miss. 1995); Mississippi Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Gunn, 614 So.2d 387 (Miss.1993); In re Seal 585 So.2d 741 (Miss.1991); Mississippi Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Cowart, 566 So.2d 1251 (Miss.1990); In re Hearn, 515 So.2d 1225 (Miss.1987). In Gunn, 614 So.2d at 390, the Court, concerned with the message that the judge's ticket-fixing and actions in and around the courtroom sent to the general public, found the Commission's recommendation of a fine and public reprimand to be consistent with prior similar cases. ¶ 13. This Court has recognized that the sanction ought to fit the offense. In re Bailey, 541 So.2d at 1039. The Commission has recommended a fine in the amount of $861.50. This figure represents the amount of fines which would have been imposed on the defendants under the standard fine schedule of Noxubee County. The Commission believes that if judges have to pay the fines for the tickets they improperly dismiss, such sanctions will deter this behavior in the future. Certainly this sanction is consistent with the guidelines of Bailey in that it fits the offense. Id. ¶ 14. The Court may consider certain factors as mitigating circumstances when determining the appropriateness of a public reprimand. Gunn, 614 So.2d at 390. Among these include the length and character of the judge's service, any positive contributions made by the judge to the courts and the community, the lack of prior judicial precedent on the incident in issue, commitment to fairness and innovative procedural form on the part of the judge, the magnitude of the offense, the number of persons affected, and whether moral turpitude was involved. In re Baker, 535 So.2d at 54. ¶ 15. A few of these possibilities for mitigation are applicable in the present case. Judge Boykin has served as a justice court judge for twenty years-a considerable length of service. This is the first time a formal complaint has been filed against her. Also, Judge Boykin appears to recognize her misconduct, has accepted full responsibility for it, and has cooperated fully with the Commission. Finally, there are no allegations that Judge Boykin in any way profited financially from the misconduct with which she is charged. ¶ 16. In conclusion, we find that the conduct of Noxubee County Justice Court Judge Sherlene B. Boykin constitutes willful misconduct in office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the judicial office into disrepute, in violation of Article 6, Section 177A of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, as amended. The proposed sanction is consistent with the elements as to the imposition of sanctions as found in In re Inquiry Concerning Baker, 535 So.2d 47 (Miss.1988) and Mississippi Judicial Performance Comm'n v. Walker, 565 So.2d 1117 (Miss. 1990) and with cases wherein fines were tied to a monetary amount directly related to the misconduct. See, e.g., Mississippi Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Emmanuel, 688 So.2d 222 (Miss.1996); Mississippi Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Bowen, 662 So.2d 551 (Miss.1995). Therefore, the recommendation for a public reprimand, a fine of $861.50, and costs is accepted and ordered by the Court. This reprimand shall be read in open court at the next term of the Circuit Court of Noxubee County with Judge Boykin present. ¶ 17. JOINT MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATIONS FILED BY THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE GRANTED. NOXUBEE COUNTY JUSTICE COURT JUDGE SHERLENE B. BOYKIN IS HEREBY ORDERED TO BE PUBLICLY REPRIMANDED AND TO PAY A FINE OF $861.50 AND ALL COSTS. PRATHER, C.J., PITTMAN AND BANKS, P.JJ., McRAE, WALLER, COBB AND DIAZ, JJ., CONCUR. SMITH, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.