The decisions came despite the Judicial Standards Commission’s recommendations to publicly reprimand the judges, and these are likely the only times in more than a decade in which the court didn’t follow the commission’s guidance.

Last fall, out of public view, the North Carolina Supreme Court squashed disciplinary action against two Republican judges who had admitted that they had violated the state’s judicial code of conduct, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the decisions.

One of the judges had ordered, without legal justification, that a witness be jailed. The other had escalated a courtroom argument with a defendant, which led to a police officer shooting the defendant to death. The Judicial Standards Commission, the arm of the state Supreme Court that investigates judicial misconduct by judges, had recommended that the court publicly reprimand both women. The majority-Republican court gave no public explanation for rejecting the recommendations — indeed, state law mandates that such decisions remain confidential.

  • Atelopus-zeteki
    43•5 months ago

    One would think secretly squashing disciplinary action that was based on admitted violation of the judicial code would itself be a violation of the judicial code. WTF?!?

    • @[email protected]
      34•5 months ago

      It is, but just like Clarence, Alito, etc on SCOTUS. Who holds them accountable for violating ethics or impartiality?

      • Atelopus-zeteki
        17•5 months ago

        I read somewhere or other that ‘no one is above the law’, apparently that’s a goal to be attained, rather than the current situation.