Misconduct Report: January 2015
The Misconduct Report | |
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| A monthly round-up of notable judicial misconduct allegations | |
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February 6, 2015
The Judicial Misconduct Report is a monthly report discussing select state-level judges facing formal misconduct charges. The report discusses notable charges of judicial misconduct from the past month and offers updates on pending and resolved cases. Unless otherwise noted, any misconduct charges should be considered allegations.
News
Judge arrested for domestic violence
Eric R. Myers: On January 17, 2015, Judge Eric R. Myers of the Hillsborough County Court in Florida was arrested on a domestic violence charge. He was also ordered to stay away from his wife, Shirley Sanchez-Myers, and their five-year-old daughter. Sanchez-Myers, who had asked for the injunction for protection against domestic violence, stated in her petition, that:
| “ | Eric slapped & punched me on my face & head, as well as pulled my hair. All of the hits to my head caused me to black out & lose consciousness.[1][2] | ” |
According to records, Myers admitted to the police that he had grabbed Sanchez-Myers by the hair and struck her in the face with his palm once. Officers arrested Myers at his workplace at the Tampa courthouse around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. In her petition, Sanchez-Myers, stated that the officers took photos of her injuries on her face, neck, and the back of her head. She also requested a court order for counseling services for Myers.[1]
Formal charges levied against judge for failed recusal
Dawn L. Vann: On January 2, 2015, the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board charged Dawn L. Vann, a judge on the Delaware County Magisterial District Court, with five counts of judicial misconduct stemming from her failure to recuse herself from a friend's court case in 2011.[3][4]
The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board, in its notice of formal charges, alleged that Vann received a phone call from Mikia Riley, a daughter of Vann's close friend, telling her about an assault that took place between Riley and her husband. Vann then called 911 to report the incident. The police who investigated the assault found no evidence of sustained injuries and found the claims of assault to be not credible. Vann, however, then called the police and asked that an officer file a criminal complaint against Riley's husband, William Riley Jr., and his mother, Doloris Riley. Vann then asked another police officer to prepare arrest warrants, which she then signed.[3][4]
The charges against Doloris Riley were eventually dropped, and the charges against William Riley Jr. were not pursued by prosecutors. Afterwards Doloris Riley and William Riley Jr. prepared to pursue civil complaints against Vann, but instead the parties agreed to a $75,000 settlement.[3][4]
The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board's formal notice stated that Vann "failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary" when she signed off on the arrest warrants, and she failed to respect and comply with the law by letting her close relationship with Mikia Riley influence her decisions. The board then requested that Vann be suspended without pay during the investigation of the charges.[3][4]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Tampa Bay Times, "Hillsborough judge arrested for domestic violence ordered to have no contact with family," January 20, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Delaware County Daily Times, "Judicial Conduct Board issues charges against Delco judge," January 3, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, In re: Dawn L. Vann," January 2, 2015
