PHOENIX (AP) - A panel of Arizona judicial conduct officials on Friday recommended that a Flagstaff judge be censured or removed from office for using government resources in his 2014 re-election bid, campaigning on government property and confronting a court employee who apparently supported his opponent.
The ethics charges announced against Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Howard Grodman set the stage for formal hearings by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. If the commission finds Grodman guilty, it can recommend censure, suspension without pay or removal from office. Suspension or removal recommendations are subject to state Supreme Court review.
Charging documents released by the panel allege that Grodman violated judicial ethics by sending expletive-filled emails referencing his opponent from his official email account. He also used the account to seek endorsements and permission to post campaign signs. He also posted photos on his campaign website while wearing his judge’s robes and blocked his opponent in the primary election from hearing cases in justice court, where he was an acting judge. That action was allegedly taken to advance his personal interests. He also is charges with posting campaign signs at a post office in violation of federal law.
Grodman’s lawyer filed an extensive response to the 14-page complaint that essentially acknowledged most of the actions but calls them poor decisions that he is sorry about making. But he also questioned whether all the judicial rule violations alleged by the commission were correct and asks for a formal hearing.
“The answer states what our position is, which is there are number of things that he did that he regrets during the campaign, but he’s an extremely good judge,” attorney Bob Van Wyck said. “And he really is. He runs a very good courtroom.”
Grodman was first elected as a judge in the Flagstaff Justice Court in 2010 after being a practicing lawyer for 27 years. He currently serves on the state Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee and his biography says he has taught business law and ethics at Northern Arizona University.
Justice courts handle low-level criminal matters such as drunken-driving cases as well as civil matters like evictions.
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