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STATE'SBESTKEPTSECRETISAGENCYTHATJUDGESTHEJUDGES

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THEVIRGINIANPILOT
Copyright(c)1996,LandmarkCommunications,Inc.
DATE:Sunday,September22,1996TAG:9609230248
SECTION:LOCALPAGE:B1EDITION:FINAL
SOURCE:BYMARKDAVIS
LENGTH:217lines

STATE'SBESTKEPTSECRETISAGENCYTHATJUDGES
THEJUDGES
Thecomplaintwasfiledinsecret.ThepublicwasnottoldthataNorfolkjudgemayhaveactedimproperly.
Agovernmentagencyinvestigatedthejudgeinsecret.Therewasnopublicrecord.
A misconduct hearing was called in secret. The location was kept quiet. The agency would not confirm the judge's name or even that it
wasmeeting.
Witnesses against the judge were called in secret. Subpoenas were not filed in open court, as they are in criminal cases. The witnesses'
testimonymayneverbeknown.Theywereurgednottotalkafterthehearing.
Anewspaperreporterwhoshowedupwasaskedtheleavethebuilding,aHolidayInn.Thereporterstayedoutinthehallway.
Andintheend,JudgeLutherC.EdmondsofNorfolkCircuitCourtresignedunderpressure.
Thatwasnearlytwoweeksago,andstillnothingisknownofficiallyaboutthecase,andprobablynothingeverwillbe.Edmondswillgo
backtohisprivatelawpracticeinVirginiaBeachandhewillbeeligibleforajudge'spensioninafewyears.
The exact charges against himremain sealed. The nature of his alleged misdeeds remain unknown. The name of whoever filed the
complaintagainsthimremainsconfidential.Thetestimonyagainsthimissecret.
Thesystemworkedexactlyasitwasintended:Thepublicwillneverbetoldwhyasittingjudgeleftoffice.
LawyerscallitTheJerkthat'sJIRC,shortforJudicialInquiryandReviewCommission.
Itisthemostpowerfulandmostsecretivegovernmentbodyyou'veneverheardof.
HowsecretisVirginia'sjudicialcommission?ConsiderthesceneSept.12whenthecommissionheardchargesagainstEdmonds.
Nothing at the Holiday Inn Executive Center on Greenwich Road hinted at the serious proceedings inside. It was 8:30 a.m. and the hotel
buzzedwithactivity.
Several meetings were going on at once. In Parlor E, Navy officers discussed rescue techniques. In Parlor B, bluecollar workers from
GeorgiaPacifictalkedshop.Theirdoorswereopen.
AcrossthehallinParlorC,thedoorwasclosedandlocked.Noonewasadmittedwithoutpermission.Therewasnosignonthedooror
onthehotelmarqueetotellvisitorswhowasmeetingthere.
Inside,thesevencommissionmembersthreejudges,twolawyersandtwoprivatecitizensmet.
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Thehearingstarted,thenstoppedabruptly.JIRC'schiefcounselemergedtoconfrontaVirginianPilotreporterwaitingoutside.
``Iamaskingyoutoleavethebuilding,''RenoS.HarpIIItoldthereporter.``Ican'torderyoutoleave,butIamaskingyoutoleavethe
building.Yourpresencehereisthreateningtheconfidentialityofthewitnesseswhowilltestify.''
Itisthatsecret.
For 25 years, the JIRC has been meting out justice behind closed doors. This is required by the state constitution, under the heading of
``Disabledandunfitjudges.''Itsays,``ProceedingsbeforetheCommissionshallbeconfidential.''
Howconfidentialarethey?Soconfidentialthat,until1993,itwasacrimeforwitnessestopubliclydiscusstheirtestimony.
Soconfidentialthat,until1978,itwasacrimefornewspaperstoreportthataninvestigationexisted.
Technically,thecommissionisnotallpowerful.Technically,itanswerstothestateSupremeCourt,whichhastherealpowertoremove
or censure judges. Technically, the commission merely makes recommendations, and technically the most serious cases become public
whenthechargesandtranscriptmovetotheSupremeCourt.
Butthatrarelyhappens.
In 25 years, only six judges statewide have been publicly punished. And only one case resulted in a judge's removal a Richmond judge
whogaveawayconfiscatedgunsandliquor.
Moreoften,judgesunderinvestigationresign,likeEdmonds,andtheircasesfadeaway.
Manylawyersandjudgessayitisthefairestsystempossible.Theysayprivacyisneededtoprotectjudges'reputationsfromunfairattacks
andtoprotectwitnesseswhoareafraidtocomeforward.
``I know there's some debate about whether the entire process should be open,'' says commission chairman Theodore J. Craddock, a
Lynchburglawyer.``Ipersonallyfeelthesystemshouldstaythewayitis.I'veseenitworkandIfeelitworksbest...
``Anybodycanmakeanallegation.Ithinkthereputationofajudgecanbeunfairlyattacked.''
ThesystemissosecretthatCraddocksayshecannotofferexamplesofcasesinwhichconfidentialitywasneeded.
RichmondlawyerJamesC.Robertshasrepresentedseveralaccusedjudgesbeforethecommission.Heagreesontheneedforsecrecy.He
saysmanycomplaintsagainstjudgesareworthlessanddeservetobekeptquiet.
Besides, Roberts says, ``You're more apt to have people come forward and be honest and candid under those circumstances than if the
processhadbeenpublic.''
Harp,thecommission'schiefcounselfor25years,refusestogetdrawnintothedebate.Hesayssimplythatconfidentialityisrequiredby
thestateconstitution``andI'mrequiredtofollowit.''
Hecallsthecommission``thepersonneldepartmentofthejudiciary,''anagencythatdealswithproblememployeeslikeanyother.
In an interview earlier this year in the Newport News Daily Press, Harp said he sometimes works in the background to get at the root
causesofjudges'problemsmedication,forexample,oralcoholism,orevenahearingaid.
Sometimesthecommissionsimplyeasesajudgeintoretirement,sometimesformedicalreasons,sometimesasaquickremedytocharges
ofmisconduct.
Forexample,JudgeStephenComfortretiredfromChesapeakeGeneralDistrictCourtin1993,sayinghehadbecomeboredwiththejob.
Afewdayslater,afriendsaidComfortwasforcedtoquitbythejudicialcommission.ThefriendsaidComfortwasbeinginvestigatedfor
improperlyinterveningwithanotherjudgeinthefriend'schildvisitationdispute.
AsintheEdmondscase,neitherthejudgenorHarpcouldcommentbecausetheinvestigationwasconfidential.
Lastweek,Harpsaidother``personneldepartments''don'thavetodealwithproblememployeesinpublic.
Thesystemhasitscritics.
RichmondlawyerDavidP.Baughmaybethemostoutspoken.In1990,heattackedthecommission'sconfidentialitywithafederallawsuit.
HecomplainedthathisFirstAmendmentrightswerebeingviolatedbecausehecouldnottalkaboutacomplainthehadfiledagainstajudge.
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Andhewon.AfederaljudgeruledthatVirginiacannotstopwitnessesandcomplainantsfromtalkingabouttheircases.
As a result, the General Assembly in 1993 revoked the law that made it a crime. But the legislature made no other changes, and the
commissionstillurgeswitnessestoremainsilentaftertheytestify,evenafterhearingsareover.
ThatinfuriatesBaugh.
``TheJIRCistheultimatestarchamber,''Baughsays.``Ihaveahardtimekeepingsecretsfromthepeople.We'repayingthetabforthis
guy(ajudge).Wedon'tknowtheallegationsagainsthim.Wedon'tevenknowiftheallegationsoughttobecrimes...
``IfImakeacomplaintagainstyouandit'sacrime,itbecomespublic.IfImakeacomplaintagainstajudge,that'sdifferent...Idon'tlike
thissecrecy.Secrecyanddemocracydon'tmix.''
NorfolkCityTreasurerJosephFitzpatrickagrees.
In1979,whenFitzpatrickwasastatesenator,hetriedtochangetherules.Hisangerwassparkedbysecretmisconducthearingsagainst
NorfolkJudgeJosephJordanofGeneralDistrictCourt.
Theinvestigationwasnosecret.Manylawyersintowntalkedopenlyaboutthecase.Itwasdebatedendlesslyinthepress.Eventually,the
commissiondidcertifypublicchargesagainstJordantotheSupremeCourt,andJordanwaspubliclycensured.
Fitzpatrick testified for Jordan in secret. He was furious that Jordan had been ``tried in the press'' without a public hearing. In the
legislature,hecalledforaconstitutionalamendmenttoopenthesystem.
Fitzpatricklostthatfight,buthisopinionhasn'tchanged.
``Itoccurredtomethatjudgesweresubjecttobeingfoundguiltywithoutanyoneeverknowingwhatthechargeswere,''Fitzpatricksaid
lastweek.``Themorethesethingsgoon,themoreconvincedIamthat...thepublicshould knowwhatajudgeis beingchargedwith
andshouldbeabletobeapartofanyactiontakenagainstajudge,throughthemedia.''
Evenaccusedjudgeswhowanttheirhearingsopencannotchangethelaw.
In 1990, for example, Portsmouth Judge Archie Elliott Jr. of General District Court was accused of misconduct. Again, it was a poorly
heldsecret.Lawyers,includingPortsmouth'stopprosecutor,talkedopenlyaboutthecase.
Elliottaskedforanopenhearing.Thecommissionsaidno.
Thecommissionneverrevealedtheoutcomeofthehearing.ItbecamepubliconlyafterElliotttoldachurchcongregationthreedayslater
thatthechargesagainsthimhadbeendismissed.
``There were so many rumors floating around about different allegations,'' Elliott's attorney, Kenneth R. Melvin, said at the time. ``We
wantedthepeopletoknowthatthechargeswereessentiallyproceduralallegations.''
Isthereanotherway?
MoststatesarenotassecretasVirginia.All50keepinitialinvestigationsprivate.Butafterthat,32statesmakecasespublicwhencharges
arefiledagainstajudge,accordingtotheAmericanJudicatureSocietyinChicago.
AmongthelesssecretstatesareneighborsNorthCarolina,Maryland,WestVirginiaandTennessee.
UnlikeVirginia,sevenstatesandtheDistrictofColumbiaalsoallowanaccusedjudgetowaiveconfidentiality.
Only13stateshavesystemssimilartoVirginia's,andsixaremoresecret,includingneighboringKentucky.
In1978,theU.S.SupremeCourtruledthatnewspapersandbroadcastersinVirginiacannotbeprosecutedfortruthfullyreportingonthe
JIRC. The issue arose after The VirginianPilot was convicted of a misdemeanor and fined $500 for reporting that a judge was under
investigation.
ChiefJusticeWarrenBurgerwrote:``Theoperationsofthecourtsandthejudicialconductofjudgesaremattersofutmostpublicconcern.
TheoperationoftheVirginiacommission(JIRC),nolessthantheoperationofthejudicialsystemitself,isamatterofpublicinterest.''
After the ruling, JIRC's chairman breathed a sigh of relief. At least, he said, the hearings themselves will remain closed. A ruling against
JIRC'ssecretnature``wouldhavekilledthecommission,''hesaid.
TheAmericanBarAssociationhasadifferenttake.
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In1991,anABAcommissionreportedthatthepublicissuspiciousoflawyerswhodisciplinethemselvesinsecret.Thereportfocusedon
lawyerdisciplinarysystemsnotjudicialdisciplinesystemsbutfoundthatlawyersholdthemselvestodifferentstandardsthanthegeneral
public.
``Theironythatlawyersareprotectedbysecretproceedingswhileearningtheirlivelihoodsinanopensystemofjusticeisnotlostonthe
public,''theABAcommissionwrote.
``Thepublicwillneveraccepttheclaimthatlawyersmustprotecttheirreputationsbygagrulesandsecretproceedings.''ILLUSTRATION:
Graphic
Colorphoto
JUDICIALINQUIRYANDREVIEWCOMMISSION
WhenJudgeLutherC.Edmonds,left,resigned,thepublicnever
knewwhy.Thecommissionkeptsecretthechargesagainsthim.The
nameofwhoeverfiledthecomplaintagainsthim,andthetestimony,
remainsunknown,aswell.
COMMISSIONMEMBERS
TheVirginiaJudicialInquiryandReviewCommissionhasseven
membersthreejudges,twolawyersandtwolaymen.Theyare
appointedbytheGeneralAssemblytofouryearterms.Themembers
are:
ChairmanTheodoreJ.Craddock,Lynchburglawyer.
ViceChairmanThomasE.Glascock,Hamptonlawyer.
JudgeJamesH.FlippenJr.,NorfolkJuvenileandDomestic
RelationsCourt
RobertJ.Grey,Richmond,retiredfromA.H.Robbins
JohnS.MassadSr.,Richmond,realestate
JudgePaulF.Sheridan,ArlingtonCircuitCourt
JudgeJosephS.Tate,MarionGeneralDistrictCourt
KEYWORDS:JUDGESJIRCJUDICIALINQUIRYAND
REVIEWCOMMISSION

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