In October of 2015 - just before my law license was suspended for criticizing a New York judge for documented misconduct in motions to recuse - I posted a blog about contemptible behavior of a Florida Judge, #JudgeJeriCollins, who held a victim of domestic violence in contempt and threw her in jail for not appearing at the criminal trial against her abuser.
Good news - judge Jeri Collins was just disciplined.
Bad news - Judge Jeri Collins remained on the bench and was just "reprimanded", which means NOTHING, just a tongue-lashing which the judge can forget and engage in more of the same.
Judge Collins unlawfully sent a victim of domestic violence to jail? No suspension from the bench, no disbarment as an attorney, no criminal prosecution for unlawful detention and violation of civil rights - just a reprimand.
A commentator about the disciplinary case of Judge Jeri Collins mentioned that "a judge should be tough, but not a complete asshole".
It is sad that we have come to this level of judicial qualification:
Not a complete asshole? - Welcome to the bench.
A complete asshole? - still welcome to the bench, with a slap of reprimand, while any non-suspension orders of discipline are clearly ineffective, and are even celebrated by the disciplined judges as a badge of honor, complete with flowers, standing ovations of brown-nosing attorneys and "receiving lines".
If we welcome, or allow the authorities in charge to retain #AssholesOnTheBench - how can we question the quality of decisions they produce?
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