Miss. Supreme Court orders suspension, fine for Harrison County judge

Published 5:00 pm Friday, March 30, 2007

The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered a Harrison County justice court judge suspended for 30 days without pay and fined $1,500 for misconduct.

The justices on Thursday also ordered a public reprimand for Judge Bruce Roberts.

The Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance last June alleged that Roberts engaged in misconduct by ridiculing a litigant.

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The commission also accused Roberts of refusing to allow the litigant to present evidence, improperly setting bond, participating in a case after recusing himself, holding hearings without due process, improperly issuing contempt warrants, improperly dismissing cases and setting aside orders of another judge and amending a criminal charge without authority.

Roberts did not deny the misconduct and agreed to the punishment recommended by the commission, according to the court record.

Justice James E. Graves Jr., writing Thursday for the court, said Roberts’ actions involved procedural matters and ignorance of the law. He said the punishment recommended by the commission was adequate for the misconduct.

Roberts is in his first term as a justice court judge.