In a stunning Friday afternoon ruling from the Judicial Conduct Commission, 42nd Circuit Court Judge Jamie Jameson has been found guilty on all seven counts of misconduct charged against him — removing him from both his seat, and rendering him unable to run for re-election.
Currently on the ballot in both Calloway and Marshall counties, the commission’s order becomes effective in 10 days, unless an appeal is filed within that time.
Jameson’s proceedings with the JCC were lengthy in Hopkinsville, covering several days of prosecution, defense and rebuttal.
According to a 70-page notation delivered Friday, Jameson committed the following offenses:
— He failed to comply with the law.
— He failed to act at all times in a “manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and avoiding the impropriety and appearance of impropriety,” and not abuse the prestige of judicial office to “advance personal interests of the judge, or others.”
— He failed to give a precedence of the judicial office over all of a judge’s personal and extrajudicial activities.
— He failed to perform the duties of judicial office fairly and impartially.
— He allowed social, political, financial or other interests and relationships influence judicial conduct or judgement.
— His investigation of facts in a matter independently was “not properly presented” or “judicially noticed.”
— He failed to require his staff to act in a manner consistent with the judge’s obligations.
— He failed to cooperate and be candid and honest with judicial disciplinary agencies.
— He participated in activities that interfered with the proper performance of the judge’s judicial duties.
— He participated in activities that would appear to a reasonable person to undermine
the judge’s independence, integrity or impartiality.
— He engaged in conduct that would appear to a reasonable person to be coercive.
— He personally solicited contributions and further allowed his name, image and prestige of judicial office to be used by others directly in the solicitation of contributions, for the building of an inpatient drug treatment center in Marshall and Calloway counties.
And others.
According to the five-panel ruling, Jameson’s conduct was a “pattern of repeated conduct over an extended period of time,” and that the Marshall County native “put great thought, planning and effort into community corrections board matters and bid rigging, and he repeatedly abused the court’s contempt powers, violating due process rights of those in his courtroom.”
In the final sentence of the ruling, the JCC noted Jameson was “unfit for judicial office.”
