Opinion ID: 1706447
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: requests from third parties

Text: The Commission charges Judge Seal with misconduct regarding thirteen (13) defendants whom Judge Seal found not guilty at the request of third parties. The Judge found the defendants not guilty without a trial, without a hearing and without any notice to the officers. In addition to Canons 1, 2 A, 3 A(1), 3 A(4), 3 B(1), and 3 B(2), the Commission asserts that this conduct violates Canon 2 B of the Code of Judicial Conduct of Mississippi Judges. The Commission also characterizes this conduct as ticket fixing as condemned in In re Hearn, 542 So.2d 901 (Miss. 1989), and in In re Hearn, 515 So.2d 1225 (Miss. 1987). Judge Seal testified that two of the tickets at issue were dismissed at the request of justice court judges from other counties. Judge Seal offers no defense other than the fact that he was new to the bench and he did not willfully break the law. We regard this activity as a serious departure from the conduct expected of a judicial officer. Although we fully appreciate Judge Seal's inexperience and generally good intentions these do not mitigate the seriousness of this transgression. We cannot condone the dismissal of traffic offenses at the request of persons with no prosecutorial responsibility for those charges. We agree with the Commission as to this conduct.