judicial misconduct hidden from voters

Did you vote to retain the judge who had sex with a staff member at the courthouse?
 
Well, we don’t know exactly who the judge is. But we do know it happened. It’s in the annual report from Colorado’s judicial discipline commission.
 
Here’s the paragraph from the annual report that details the facts:
 
A private censure was issued to a judge who promoted extensive drinking at a conference hotel among court staff which led to a consensual sexual relationship with a staff member that continued at the courthouse. After the intimate relationship ended, the judge and the employee had an increasingly stressful employment relationship which ultimately resulted in the employee reporting the situation to the Commission and being reassigned to different duties. The judge's conduct violated Canon Rule 1.2, creating an appearance of impropriety among court staff; Canon Rule 3.1(A), interfering with proper performance of judicial duties as a delegate to the conference; Canon Rule 3.1(C), conduct undermining the integrity of a judge at the conference; and Canon Rule 3.1(E), improper use of court facilities. The impact on the work environment was addressed by the private censure of the judge’s conduct and an order for the judge to seek counselling about his behavior.
 
In the private sector, the judge could be terminated for his conduct. But in Colorado’s judicial branch, the judge gets to keep his job and it’s all covered up because judicial discipline proceedings are confidential in Colorado.
 
We don’t know if the judge is on this year’s ballot. But no matter when the judge is up for retention, Colorado’s judicial system will keep the public from knowing what the judge did.
 
Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby sure wish they were judges in Colorado. Their fates would be so different.
 
The annual report also details on pages 13-15 other acts that were disciplined in private. Among other things, judges were privately disciplined for arbitrary rulings, inappropriate remarks to lawyers and litigants, unprofessional terminology, intemperance, and sexual harassment.
 
So you’re left to imagine what all those judges on the ballot did. Colorado sweeps the bad acts of judges under the rug.
 
You don’t know your judge. Really. You don’t.
 
Please sign our petition to support making judicial discipline proceedings public in Colorado.

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