Opinion ID: 1711033
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Ronald Scott Havard and Gay Nell Havard

Text: ¶ 38. In 1988, Ronald Scott Havard and Gay Nell Havard pled guilty to the manufacture of a controlled substance. In June 1995, Senior Circuit Court Judge Forrest Johnson denied the Havards' petitions for expungement of those convictions, finding there was no provision of law to grant such relief. He did, however, grant certificates of rehabilitation to the Havards. Judge Sanders signed orders that illegally expunged the records of the Havards. ¶ 39. Attorney Cynthia Davis, attorney for the Havards, testified that she initially petitioned Judge Johnson for the expungement of the Havards' records. Judge Johnson denied the expungement, telling Davis there was no authority for him to grant the requested relief. Judge Johnson did, however, grant the Havards certificates of rehabilitation. ¶ 40. After Judge Johnson's denial of the expungements, Davis petitioned Judge Johnson for reconsideration on the matter. Without waiting for Judge Johnson to rule on the motion for reconsideration, Davis mailed the petitions for expungement and the proposed orders to Judge Sanders on August 15, 1995. Davis testified that she did not disclose to Judge Sanders that Judge Johnson had already denied the expungements, nor did she disclose that she had filed motions to reconsider with Judge Johnson and that those motions were pending. At no time did Davis discuss these petitions with Judge Sanders. ¶ 41. Orders were eventually issued granting the expungement. The order granting Ronald Havard's expungement was dated September 1, 1995, with the word September handwritten over the typed word July. The order that granted the expungement of Gay Havard's record was dated July 25, 1995, almost a month before Davis testified she mailed the petitions to Judge Sanders. ¶ 42. The orders appeared to have been signed by Judge Sanders, and she admitted that the signatures appeared to be her signature. Judge Sanders never denied signing the orders, but she did testify at the hearing that she did not remember signing the orders. ¶ 43. Judge Sanders testified that she was in Nevada when the order granting the expungement of Gay Havard's record was signed and that there was no way she could have signed those orders. However, her former court administrator testified that when the judge was in Nevada, she sent orders and other correspondence to the judge to sign. The former court administrator went on to say that she could not remember if the orders in question had been sent to the judge in Nevada to sign. ¶ 44. Judge Sanders then testified that if she signed those orders, it was done through trickery and false pretenses on the part of the Attorney Davis. Judge Sanders testified that she knew she could not expunge the record of one convicted of a manufacture conviction. Section 41-29-150 does not allow for the expungement of one who has been convicted of the manufacture of a controlled substance. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 41-29-139(c),(d) & -150 (1993 & Supp.1999). ¶ 45. The fact remains that the orders were signed, and the Havards' records were expunged. Judge Sanders had no legal authority to expunge the records of the Havards. Further, a look at the court files in the cases would have put Judge Sanders on notice that Judge Johnson had previously denied expungement to these defendants. ¶ 46. At the very least, Judge Sanders is guilty of illegally expunging records out of carelessness or mistake. At the worst, Judge Sanders is guilty of expunging the records by wilfully disregarding state statutes and the prior order of a fellow judge. In either case, she is guilty of conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. We find that Judge Sanders committed conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice regarding count II. ¶ 47. Action must be taken to correct these improper expungements. This Court directs that Judge Sanders immediately vacate those orders granting the expungement of the Havards' records and give notice of such action to the Havards, the District Attorney for the Sixth Circuit Court District, and the Commission.