The Court of the Judiciary found Cocke County Judge John Bell guilty of ethical violations in his handling of a civil lawsuit.
Presiding Judge Don Ash announced that the panel had decided to suspend Bell with pay for 90 days beginning Aug. 1. The panel also imposed sanctions, including a requirement that Bell complete 42 hours of ethics training over the next three years.
Disciplinary counsel Joseph Steve Daniel concluded his case against Bell with testimony from David Pleau.
Pleau filed a complaint against Bell after the judge waited nine months to make a ruling in a lawsuit over a car crash in which Pleau was involved.
Bell was also accused of having attorney Tom Testerson call Pleau about dropping his complaint and failing to tell others involved in Pleau’s lawsuit that Pleau had a pending complaint against the judge.
Bell testified that he had done nothing wrong and was the victim of a political plot.
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Judiciary Panel Finds Cocke County Judge Guilty of Violations
6 comments:
Doesn't seem like a fair punishment to me!
*90 days suspended w/pay = vacation
*42 hours training OVER 3 years....
BIG DEAL
oh poor me... I'm the victim
Why would things change in the country if the punishment is 90 days of additional paid vacation.
This is not a punishment this is encouragement to do it again.
Suspended with pay? Well, how's that? He gets to go to Disney World on the taxpayer's dime!
The TN Judiciary should be ashamed of such a so called punishment.
Are you looking at Judge Randy Kennedy, TN Judiciary? And what are you going to do for him? Take him off the bench with pay for a year?
Disciplines? I think it's more like "Awards"
Delay is part of the ligigation game. "Justice" isn't about justice anymore; it's about legal maneuvering and trying to starve out your opponent. When judges play into that, the big guy wins, the little guy loses.
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