LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – An Arkansas judge has been censured by a state judicial panel for behaving “discourteously and in an undignified manner” toward defendants, her staff and others.
The Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission issued its letter of censure Friday to Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mary McGowan, who oversees the county’s drug court.
The 70-year-old jurist was ordered to attend classes to learn “proper judicial demeanor.” She must also allow commission staff into her courtroom to monitor her behavior. Terms of the censure will remain in place as long as she’s a judge.
The commission cited multiple complaints against McGowan from 2016 and 2017, and noted that she’s violated the judicial code of conduct on several prior occasions.
McGowan accepted the censure rather than file for a public appeal before the commission.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI