Opinion ID: 1298515
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Suspension without pay

Text: Although we avoid, to the extent possible, imposing unjust and inappropriately harsh sanctions on respondent, we must consider the dues he owes society and the judicial system. The public can be protected only if the sanction imposed warns every member of the judiciary of the severe consequences of conduct such as respondent's. Only in this way will we deter others and discipline the profession. We also believe public confidence in the integrity of the system can be promoted only if the public sees we deal severely, but justly, with our own. We have concluded, therefore, that respondent must be suspended from office without pay. For the reasons stated in the preceding paragraph, we believe the suspension period should be very significant. Therefore, we suspend respondent for a period of one year, commencing from the time of respondent's disqualification as a judge  September 2, 1988. During this time, he has been collecting his salary but not performing the duties of his office. In our view, it is inappropriate that the taxpayers suffer any loss because of respondent's illegal conduct. The financial burden should fall on respondent, whose conduct was the cause for his misfortunes. Therefore, commencing the suspension retroactively from the date of his disqualification is entirely proper. [15] This means, of course, that whatever administrative work respondent has performed for the judicial system from the period September 2, 1988 to the present will have been performed pro bono  a result we deem appropriate. We also expect that from this date to the end of the suspension respondent will continue, without pay, to perform such administrative assignments as are given him by the presiding judge. The sanction also means that respondent must reimburse the State of Arizona and Maricopa County for his gross salary received from September 2, 1988 to date, or to perform his duties as a judge from September 2, 1989 forward for an equivalent period of time without pay. Respondent shall make arrangements with and satisfactory to the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts to implement this reimbursement sanction. [16] The ultimate result is that respondent will have suffered materially for his conduct. Possession of one ounce of marijuana has seldom before entailed a sanction as severe as suspension without pay for a year. Even in criminal proceedings a fine of over $80,000 is unknown. [17] See Appendix (the survey reveals Indiana as having the highest maximum fine ($5000) for this offense). Hopefully, this will serve as both a deterrent to others and an assurance to the public that we will treat judges severely for such inappropriate conduct. More important than the money involved is the opprobrium inevitably to be visited on respondent by the publication of this opinion.