Just how low does a California judge have to go to be forced out of his or her job? The state's eleven-member Commission on Judicial Performance is responsible for answering that question. And, in fact, the commission rarely rules that a judge deserves to be bounced from the bench. Since 1960, this independent agency has publicly reproved 17 judges, admonished 48, and censured 41—but it has removed only 23.
The commission archives on those discredited 23 do not reveal any instances of murder or even malicious malfeasance. But they do record plenty of bad language, bad attitudes, and most of all bad judgment. Here are five of the state's most colorful tales of judicial indiscretion—with plenty of lessons on how far (and easily) the mighty may fall.
The astonishing (and amusing) details are here from California Lawyer magazine.