Opinion

In Re Joyce

  • 712 A.2d 834
  • 1998 WL 175750
Court
Court of Judicial Discipline of Pennsylvania
Filed
Feb 18, 1998
Status
Published
Author
Magaro
On the bench
McEwen, Magaro, Messa, Sylvester, Weinberg, Sweeney, Panella, Byer
Cited by
22 cases

The opinion

MAGARO, Judge,

concurring and dissenting:

I join in the Opinion of the Court in all respects except for that portion which finds that Respondents violated Article V, § 17(b) of the Pennsylvania Constitution, from which portion I dissent.

I dissent because, although the conduct of these Respondents is substantively identical to the conduct of the Respondent in In re Trkula, the latter was not charged with a violation of Article V, § 17(b) of the Pennsylvania Constitution whereas these Respondents have been. I believe that the interests of justice and predictability are ill served if this Court cannot be relied upon to find that conduct by one Respondent constitutes the same constitutional and canonical violations as the same conduct by another. Nor do I believe that this Court’s responsibility in this regard should depend on what the Board decides to put in a Complaint in any given case. That is not to say that there is any indication that the Board, in bringing the charges against District Justices Joyce and Terrick, intended to treat them in a discriminatory fashion compared with District Justice Trkula. However, for the purpose of enlightening other judicial officers as to what conduct may support the imposition of sanctions and the basis therefor, this Court should be consistent.

SYLVESTER, J., joins in this Concurring and Dissenting Statement.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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