Opinion ID: 2598264
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The nature, extent, and frequency of the conduct

Text: As the record indicates, Judge Michels served as Toppenish Municipal Court judge pro tempore and Toppenish public defender for a period of 10 years. Judge Michels' choice to act in dual roles in the same court forced his low-income clients to choose between having representation or getting out of jail. An example of this is shown in City of Toppenish v. Santos Rivas, Nos. C00006564, C00006565, C00006566, (Toppenish Municipal Court September 13, 1999). Judge Michels was appointed as attorney for Rivas on August 17, 1999. Less than one month later, on September 13, 1999, Judge Michels presided over a hearing in which he entered findings of guilt on two counts in each case and sentenced Rivas to 540 days, with all but 12 suspended, and fined Rivas $4,560, with $2,300 suspended. Rivas had been in jail for two days and had been unsuccessful in contacting Michels, his lawyer. When he arrived in court he found his lawyer was now his judge. A transcript of the Rivas case was admitted during the hearing before the Commission. It shows that Rivas was unsure of what his rights and status before the court were and was unsure about seeking advice from Judge Michels, who was his attorney of record. Judge Michels, while sitting as judge, essentially talked Rivas into firing him as his attorney and pleading guilty to all the charges. If Rivas did not follow Judge Michels' recommendation, he would have gone back to jail until the appointed judge of Toppenish Municipal Court could preside, possibly up to two weeks. [1] At no time did Judge Michels offer Rivas the alternative of appointment of new counsel or remind Rivas of his right to have counsel present. Rather, Judge Michels pressed Rivas to proceed without a lawyer or go back to jail. The Commission uncovered 12 such cases. Judge Michels' only explanation of his conduct was that it was his impression that once he was dismissed as defense counsel he could serve as judge and sentence his former clients. The United States Supreme Court has made it clear that a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system is that counsel must be provided for individuals who cannot afford their own. Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 344, 83 S.Ct. 792, 9 L.Ed.2d 799 (1963). Gideon dealt with a state court's refusal to appoint counsel for an indigent accused of a noncapital felony. We recognized this when holding the right to counsel shall extend to all criminal proceedings for offenses punishable by loss of liberty regardless of whether they are felonies or misdemeanors. McInturf v. Horton, 85 Wash.2d 704, 705, 538 P.2d 499 (1975); CrR 3.1(a). A criminal defense attorney, whether appointed or retained, has a duty to zealously and diligently defend his or her client. This includes openly and honestly communicating with the client, investigating the circumstances surrounding the charges, filing motions, interviewing and subpoenaing witnesses, and preparing a defense. Most importantly, the attorney needs to make sure the client is properly advised of his or her rights when entering a plea of guilty. In doing this, the attorney needs to make sure that a plea is entered knowingly and voluntarily and that the defendant is aware of any rights he or she is giving up. Judge Michels denied defendants this right when he forced them to choose between their right to counsel or extra jail time. It is the job of a public defender to protect the rights of his or her clients, just as it is the responsibility of the judge to see that justice is carried out. The fact Judge Michels disregarded both duties is a serious offense and calls for a stern response. With respect to the faulty guilty plea forms, we analyzed this exact issue in a similar setting in In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Hammermaster, 139 Wash.2d 211, 985 P.2d 924 (1999). In Hammnermaster, we recognized that all courts must provide equal justice, regardless of size and situation, and that short cuts in due process are not tolerated. We further reiterated the principle that a judge has a duty to ensure that guilty pleas are knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently made. This is also true of a court-appointed attorney or public defender. This ensures that defendants are apprised of the essential elements of the crime and the range of punishment they may receive before entering a plea. This standard applies to regular judges as well as pro tern, judges. When a lawyer is sitting as a judge, he or she has an obligation to comply with the law regardless of whether he or she is full-time, part-time, or pro tem. Under the Canons, the judge's duty is to be faithful to the law and maintain judicial and professional competence. The fact these actions occurred in a rural setting is no defense. Nor does it matter that this occurred while Judge Michels was acting as a pro tempore judge in another jurisdiction. Short cuts around constitutional and statutory requirements and other conditions of due process are unacceptable and are not tolerated in any court by any judicial officer. It was Judge Michels' independent responsibility as judge to ensure that the forms were correct. It is ultimately the duty of the judge to make sure the guilty plea forms are correct, in order to ensure each defendant is aware of his or her rights and that these rights are protected. Judge Michels failed in this duty. C. Whether the conduct occurred in the courtroom, whether the judge was acting in his official capacity, the effect the misconduct has upon the integrity and respect of the judiciary Both parties agree that all of the conduct in question occurred while Judge Michels was serving as judge pro tempore in Toppenish. A judge pro tempore is subject to the same standards as a regular judge. In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Niemi, 117 Wash.2d 817, 820 P.2d 41 (1991). The Code of Judicial Conduct requires judges to disqualify themselves in any proceeding in which their impartiality may reasonably be questioned. Canon 3(D)(1)(b) requires the same must be done if the judge previously served as a lawyer. Judicial integrity is sacrificed if the canon is violated and the appearance of fairness is ignored. Judge Michels' conduct strikes at the heart of principles on which our system is based. By repeatedly presiding as judge over his current or former clients whom he served as a public defender, Judge Michels violated the defendants' basic constitutional due process rights. Courts of limited jurisdiction serve as the window to the judicial branch for many people who do not normally have contact with the judicial system. The fact that each time Judge Michels took the bench in Toppenish and announced that he would try to accommodate defendants who were his clients casts serious doubt on the public perception of the judiciary. Further, when Judge Michels made his clients choose between their right to counsel and their freedom, he disregarded the very rights he is sworn to protect as a judge and as a lawyer. D. Whether the judge has acknowledged that the acts occurred While Judge Michels did deny any wrongdoing for the majority of the investigation, he did admit to the charges against him during his deposition. E. Whether the judge has made an effort to change or modify his conduct. When the Commission filed its statement of charges in August 2001, Judge Michels resigned from his position as judge pro tempore in Toppenish and testified that the faulty guilty plea forms had been remedied to be in compliance with the law. However, the Commission notified Judge Michels of the nature of the allegations on January 11, 2000, and he continued to pass judgment over his former clients, continually denying he was doing anything wrong. The dissent's argument that Judge Michels would have stopped had the charges been filed earlier is not supported by the record in this case. Contrary to the dissent's assertion, we find no support in the record establishing that Judge Michels made any effort to change or modify his conduct at the time he was initially made aware of the allegations. F. Length of service on the bench. Judge Michels has been a municipal court judge in Sunnyside since 1986 and had served as judge pro tempore in Toppenish for the majority of the past 16 years. During that time, we released our decision in Hammermaster and other cases affecting the judiciary and judicial duties. Any experienced jurist, like Judge Michels, is required to be well versed in the laws of Washington, the CJC, and all legal requirements. The fact that Judge Michels failed to keep current on the status of the law in spite of his years of service on the bench is troublesome. Sixteen years is a considerable amount of time to sit on the bench. Judge Michels owed it to the community where he served to abide by the laws of Washington, the rules outlined by this court, and our state constitution. G. Whether there have been prior complaints about the judge Judge Michels had one prior complaint against him which had no bearing on our disposition. H. The extent to which the judge exploited his position to satisfy his personal desires Judge Michels served as judge pro tempore for Toppenish without compensation. While he and Judge Reid did have an agreement to substitute for each other, the motivation behind Judge Michels' actions was not a desire to promote his well-being. While Judge Michels' intentions may have, in his mind, been honorable and were intended to serve his clients by expediting their release from jail, denying those clients their constitutional rights is unacceptable.