Opinion ID: 2174333
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: partial history of discipline from judicial tenure commission reports:

Text: Matter of Hague, 412 Mich 532 (1982). A Detroit Recorder's Court, Traffic and Ordinance Division, Judge was suspended from office for sixty days without pay for misconduct in office and conduct clearly prejudicial to the administration of justice. He was charged with disobeying valid orders entered by superior courts; refusing to follow decisions of higher courts; abusing his contempt powers; and improperly excluding attorneys from practicing in his courtroom. The Court held that the charges against him were clearly established. It also noted that Respondent's war with local prosecutors over the enforcement of non-traffic ordinances led him to ignore the limits of his judicial authority and the obligations imposed upon his office. [Emphasis added.] Matter of Frankel, 414 Mich 1109 (1982). A District Court Judge agreed to public censure as recommended by the Commission as a result of his conduct, which included the use of vulgar language toward an attorney in court proceedings. [Emphasis added.] Matter of Lawrence, 417 Mich [248] (1983). A District Court Judge was suspended from office for nine months without salary, publicly censured, and ordered to return unused campaign contributions to contributors or remit $5,667.97 to the State Bar Client Security Fund. The Respondent was charged with improperly using his office in assigning indigent criminal cases to and allowing appearances by attorneys with whom he had financial ties; maintaining an interest in a Michigan liquor license; accepting free legal services from and simultaneously assigning criminal cases to an attorney; improperly using his office and misrepresenting material facts to the County Gun Board in order to influence the issuance of a concealed weapon's permit to an acquaintance; improper involvement with certain for-profit corporations; and impropriety related to his reporting and retention of campaign funds. [Emphasis added.] In the Matter of Binkowski, 420 Mich 97 (1984). A District Court Judge was publicly censured for his admitted act of proffering to others only a part of an admonitory letter sent to him by the Commission. The circulation of the edited letter conveyed the false and misleading impression that certain grievances had been dismissed by the Commission without any finding of impropriety on the part of the Respondent. The Court accepted the conclusion of the Commission that Respondent's actions were dishonest. [Emphasis added.] In the Matter of Tschirhart, 420 Mich 1201 (1984). A District Court Judge was publicly censured for abusing his judicial office by displaying favoritism and permitting family relationships to influence his judgment. [ [59] ] [Emphasis added.] In the Matter of Sobotka, 421 Mich 1201 (1985). A District Court Judge was charged with appearing intoxicated both on the bench and at a public function and her excessive use of alcohol was alleged to have resulted in her inability to render timely decisions in cases awaiting her determination. Prior to the close of the public hearing Respondent stipulated to the facts presented by the Commission and consented to its recommendation. The Supreme Court adopted in full the Commission's recommendation and ordered her censure, and suspension for two months to be followed by six months supervision by the Commission. [Emphasis added.] In re Bayles, 427 Mich 1201 (1986). A District Court Judge was publicly censured for his failure or refusal to timely file a state income tax return for the years 1979 through 1984, or to timely file a city tax return for the years 1976 through 1984, and for the fact that 12 misdemeanor warrants for income tax fraud and evasion had been issued against him due to his failure to file the city tax returns. [Emphasis added.] In the Matter of Merritt, 431 Mich 1211 (1988). A district court Judge was publicly censured for improperly using fines collected from attorneys for late filings, tardy appearances and failure to appear, in order to augment a charitable fund to assist indigent drug and alcohol abusers appearing before him. The conduct of the Judge gave the appearance that he used his judicial office to solicit monies from attorneys. [Emphasis added.] In re Templin, 432 Mich 1220 (1989). A Circuit Court Judge was publicly censured for dating a criminal defendant while her case was pending before him. The conduct of the judge constituted an appearance of favored treatment, an appearance that improper ex parte communication may have taken place, and failure to avoid behavior which erodes confidence in the judiciary. [Emphasis added.] In re Waterman, 433 Mich 1207 (1989). This District Court Judge was found guilty of misconduct as a practicing attorney by his failure to act diligently and promptly, neglecting of legal matters entrusted to him, failure to deposit client funds in a trust account and commingling and misappropriating client funds. The Judge consented to the recommendation of the Commission which was adopted by the Supreme Court in its order of public censure. [Emphasis added.] In re Griffin, 400 NW2d 595 [Mich, 1987]; 448 NW2d 352 [Mich, 1989]; 454 NW2d 116 [Mich, 1990]. A District Court Judge was charged with improper courtroom conduct directed at litigants and lawyers and gross abuse of his contempt authority. In his Answer to the Complaint, he did not contest the allegations and claimed his behavior resulted from an emotional disorder for which he was being treated. Following his interim suspension, he consented to the Commission's recommendation of continuing treatment and supervised reinstatement with extensive monitoring of his courtroom. [Emphasis added.] SAMPLING OF ADMONITIONS ISSUED January-December, 1991. Respondents were admonished for ... failing to exercise restraint in dealing with a defendant and his attorney, vindictively raising the defendant's bond, and manifesting personal animus against defendant's counsel. An attorney cannot be held in contempt mainly for asserting the interest of his client. ... making inappropriate and potentially offensive comments in the courtroom which are subject to misinterpretation by others. ... publicly condemning someone for his sexual preference, thereby exhibiting prejudice against an entire segment of society. ... improperly appointing attorneys, who had financial dealings with the judge, as successor receivers in a civil case, giving rise to the appearance of favoritism and economic self interest. ... failing to act affirmatively to preserve the assets of a ward of the court, allowing a conservatorship to continue which drained a meager estate of its assets despite repeated challenges by the ward, supporting his decisions with inconsistent rulings, and failing to dispose of the case in the manner set forth by the Court of Appeals. Public confidence in the judiciary is jeopardized by even the appearance of a judge defying the authority of a higher court.    ... allowing many cases to remain under advisement for an unduly long time, contrary to Canon 3A(5) of the Code of Judicial Conduct which requires a judge to dispose promptly of the business of the court. ... failing to disclose to parties that their opponents in litigation were represented by members of a law firm contemporaneously representing the judge and his wife in unrelated legal matters. [Emphasis added.]