Vindictive Former Judge Suspended

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has suspended a former judge for two years.

The charges

Count 1 alleged that then Judge-elect Nadeau’s directive to the Register of Probate of York County not to include seven attorneys on the court appointed  attorney list was motivated by his previous contentious relationship with those  attorneys, in violation of Judicial Canons 2(B) and 3(C)(4);

Count 2 alleged that Judge Nadeau’s removal of an attorney from cases to  which she had previously been appointed was motivated by her association  with an attorney with whom Nadeau had a contentious relationship, in  violation of Canon 2(A) and (B);

Count 3 alleged that—in a case in which he had recused himself— Judge Nadeau ordered an attorney to destroy a lawfully obtained public  document, in violation of Canon 2(A);

Count 4 alleged that Judge Nadeau’s abrupt overhaul of the Probate Court  schedule was motivated by his anger with the York County Commissioners  when his request for a pay increase was rejected, in violation of Canons 1, 2(A)  and (B), and 3(B)(8); and

Count 5 alleged that Judge Nadeau was, through oral and written orders, encouraging litigants before him to contact their county officials to lobby for  increased court funding, which would also increase his salary, in violation of  Canon 2(B).

Sanction

This is now the fourth time that Judge Nadeau has appeared before  us for ethical violations, and the third time for conduct that occurred while  serving in a judicial capacity. See In re Nadeau, 2016 ME 116, 144 A.3d 1161;  In re Nadeau, 2007 ME 21, 914 A.2d 71415; Bd. of Overseers of the Bar v. Nadeau,  Bar-05-03, 2006 Me. LEXIS 167 (Mar. 2, 2006). Here, his actions were often  carried out in an intemperate and vindictive fashion against former colleagues of his law practice and their associates. Attorneys’ reputations were harmed, and litigants before him were pressured to support his efforts to increase court  resources and his compensation. Judge Nadeau has not fully acknowledged the  intemperate nature of his decisions.

…This time, therefore, more severe sanctions are warranted. It  is hereby ordered that Robert M.A. Nadeau forfeit $5,000 and be suspended from the practice of law for two years…

(Mike Frisch)