Pop Quiz: You Guess the Discipline for this Judge

Today’s judicial doofus is a Mississippi judge. Here are excerpts from the complaint against her:

Statements on Social Media

Political Campaigning

Clinkscales admitted that, while serving as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Columbus and Judge for the Columbus Drug Court, she made the following statement on social media: “Cast your vote in the Senate District 16 Special Election. I will be voting for Angela Turner Lairy! ... Let's not lose this seat!” Clinkscales admitted that this statement violated Canon 5(A)(1) of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which generally prohibits judges from publically endorsing political candidates.

Operation of Columbus Drug Court

While serving as a drug court judge, Clinkscales ordered some individuals to enter the drug court program who had not volunteered. During Clinkscales's tenure as a drug court judge, some drug court participants remained in the program longer than the law allowed. Additionally, Clinkscales ordered her nephew to enter the drug court program, in violation of constitutional and statutory law. See Miss. Const. art. 6, § 165 (1890) (“No judge of any court shall preside on the trial of any cause, where the parties or either of them, shall be connected with him by affinity or consanguinity[.]”); accord Miss.Code Ann. § 9–1–11 (Rev.2014).

Statements in Newspaper Interview

On June 23, 2009, prior to her tenure as a judge, Clinkscales was arrested and charged with failing to obey a police officer. In February of 2011, while serving as a judge, she gave an interview to a local newspaper in which she admittedly gave misleading and deceptive responses to questions about her arrest. Specifically, Clinkscales told the interviewer that she had not broken any laws and that she expected to be cleared of any charges. After giving the interview, she entered a plea of no contest to the charge of disobeying a police officer.

Conduct in the Courtroom

Clinkscales admitted to the Commission's allegations that she routinely started court late and acted in a manner which could be construed as discourteous and exhibiting poor courtroom demeanor.

Okay, people, let’s guess her discipline:

1.       The complaint was dismissed.

2.       The judge was suspended for 30 days.

3.       The judge was removed from office.

4.       The judge was reprimanded and fined $500.

5.       The judge was barred from running for office in the future.

E-mail your guesses to m-leroy@illinois.edu!