Judicial Conduct

The Jamestown Lawyer has written in the past on attorney and police conduct, be it exemplary or ethically challenged. For reference, here is a link to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. This is the body which oversees judges in the state.

A telling statistic is visible in this chart (scroll down a bit) comparing the disciplinary proceedings against Justice Court judges and all other judges. In some ways, it isn't unexpected given the massive number of low level courts in the state. At the same time, I'm not sure the numbers are in proportion and we're seeing the lack of professionalism in action. That's an opinion, but it's backed up, anecdotally, by an unscientific review of a few cases. The most serious transgressions (lying under oath, repeated ex parte communication, issuing favorable judgments to friends without hearings) were most often in the Justice Courts.