Bond Is His Word

A Tennessee judge has been reprimanded  by the Board of Judicial Conduct for his treatment of a police sergeant who the judge had appeared for a bond hearing at the judge’s request.

The judge had raised his voice at the sergeant and “became sarcastic about a warrant he had prepared.” The good sergeant left the courtroom “feeling embarrassed and harassed.”

The judge “had no personal recollection” of the encounter.

A second matter involved the judge’s public comments about the bail system.

He stated that “bail bond companies don’t do anything but collect money from poor people” and that he detested the bond system

It is one thing for a judge to appear publicly and explain specific problems in an area of law in which the judge has expertise; it is quite another for a judge to publicly declare he or she “detests” the law that the judge is charged with applying,

The judge was cooperative and accepted full responsibility for the violations. (Mike Frisch)