Opinion ID: 1779690
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: The effect the misconduct has upon the integrity of and respect for the judiciary.

Text: The decisional delays give the impression that relief through the court system cannot be achieved in an efficient and timely manner, and this impinges on the integrity and respect for the judiciary. However, Judge Lee's handling of her travel expenses is by far the most egregious aspect of Judge Lee's admitted conduct, and has the most detrimental effect on the integrity of and respect for the judiciary. As found by the Commission: the public can be expected to believe that judges withdraw funds from their courts and use them for personal reasons. Some might form the opinion that judges do not believe the rules apply to them, even though judges enforce the rules of law on the public. At best, citizens will perceive that judges can neglect their administrative responsibilities. At worst, the impression may be that there was a selfish or sinister motive for Judge Lee to retain the unused travel funds in her office for an extended period. Even those persons who do not suspect anything untoward as to Judge Lee's motives will nevertheless realize that sorely needed public funds were tied up, and not available for public usage. While judges must meet an hourly quota of continuing legal education and new judges are often ordered to attend an orientation session, most of the trips Judge Lee took could not have been mandatory, considering the large number at issue. [16] The Commission believes that if she chose to travel away from her court, and notably, she did so almost monthly during the period in question, she had a heightened duty to account accurately, timely, and in accordance with her court's travel policy, which she did not do. That these transgressions received extensive media attention significantly undermined the judicial process in this state.