A Florida judge bounds out of his seat from behind the bench and screams at an attorney for what he claims is her bad attitude. A West Virginia family court judge yells furiously at a litigant in a divorce case. The judge tells the man, who happens to be a church pastor, to "shut up" or go to jail. A trial judge in Tennessee shouts at an attorney during a deposition to do his bidding or risk his wrath.
Each of these incidents led to judicial disciplinary actions in recent months. While few would excuse this kind of behavior, some legal experts argue that the intense pressures placed on judges these days are stoking those flared tempers. "A fair number of judges are sitting at a low boiling point," said Michael Downey, a partner at Armstrong Teasdale in St. Louis whose practice focuses on legal ethics.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
