Federal Judge Suspended on Misconduct Charges
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Nathan Koppel
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Date: 09/13/2008
Article reports that the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judicial Council suspended U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. "for two years for alleged misconduct." The punishment "may lead to a move in Congress to remove him from the bench through impeachment." Porteous' alleged misconduct included "failing to report gifts from lawyers who appeared before him and concealing debts while in personal bankruptcy." The circuit court's decision comes at a time when "the federal bench is under great scrutiny for misbehavior." In response to "complaints that federal judges, who enjoy life tenure, aren't sufficiently accountable for ethical lapses," the federal bench has "adopted procedures this year aimed at more thoroughly investigating judicial-misconduct complaints.