Legal Ethics
Tell-It-Like-It-Is Calif. Judge is Reprimanded for Rudeness
A retired Orange County, Calif., judge who apparently told litigants and counsel what he really thought of their case during a 2006 hearing has been reprimanded for rudeness.
The Commission on Judicial Performance found that John Watson’s critical and sarcastic comments during a 2006 hearing in a case that that involved warring neighbors violated canons of the Code of Judicial Ethics, reports the Los Angeles Times.
“Believe me, the last thing in the world I would look at unless somebody points a gun at my head is a deposition in this case. I don’t even want to hear this case, let alone read depositions,” Watson said at one point during the hearing.
