Court order ousts judge
Mark Badgett is removed from job for misconduct
DOBSON (Winston-Salem Journal) - The N.C. Supreme Court issued an order [Friday] removing Judge Mark Badgett from the bench for misusing his judicial power in a case where he showed bias against a defendant because of his ethnicity.
Badgett, a District Court judge in Surry and Stokes counties, was running for re-election. The state Supreme Court also ordered that he be censured and that he not hold any further judicial office in North Carolina, nor be eligible for retirement benefits from his former $106,445-a-year job.
"We've had several judges removed in the past, but this is the first in several years," said Paul Ross, the executive director of the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission, which recommended that Badgett be censured.
Badgett did not immediately return phone calls requesting comment.
His attorney, Clark Fischer, said that Badgett is in the process of moving out of his office. Badgett is also closing down his campaign. His Web site said only, "I would like to give many thanks to my supporters."
DOBSON (Winston-Salem Journal) - The N.C. Supreme Court issued an order [Friday] removing Judge Mark Badgett from the bench for misusing his judicial power in a case where he showed bias against a defendant because of his ethnicity.
Badgett, a District Court judge in Surry and Stokes counties, was running for re-election. The state Supreme Court also ordered that he be censured and that he not hold any further judicial office in North Carolina, nor be eligible for retirement benefits from his former $106,445-a-year job.
"We've had several judges removed in the past, but this is the first in several years," said Paul Ross, the executive director of the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission, which recommended that Badgett be censured.
Badgett did not immediately return phone calls requesting comment.
His attorney, Clark Fischer, said that Badgett is in the process of moving out of his office. Badgett is also closing down his campaign. His Web site said only, "I would like to give many thanks to my supporters."
posted by BP News Bureau | 9:14 PM
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