IN RE:
		:
	James Martin Kelly,	:	No. 1 JD 00
	Senior District Justice	:

AND NOW, this 23rd day of August, 2000, the Court, having conducted a Sanction Hearing on August 23, 2000, in consequence of having found that Respondent’s conduct in attempting to influence another district justice in the disposition of a violation of the Motor Vehicle Code to be (a) such that brings the judicial office into disrepute, (b) such that prejudices the proper administration of justice, (c) a violation of Rule 2A of the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of District Justices, and (d) a violation of Article V, §17(b) of the Pennsylvania Constitution, repeating the language of the Order of this Court entered in 1998 in a case involving similar charges which declared as follows:

That a “fix” may not be cloaked as a “favor” or a “break”, for even the least perversion of the process of lawful disposition of traffic offenses befouls the justice system, and venalizes the offender, the district justice, those court personnel who observe the tampering, and those members of the public who learn of it from the offender, That the practice of tampering with the lawful disposition of traffic offenses can no longer be an accepted phenomenon of society, for the knowing wink must be eliminated as an option of the traffic offender, and the lawful administration of the traffic docket of all district justices must henceforth be maintained or severe sanctions will follow,

taking guidance from that Order, the Court HEREBY imposes the SANCTION OF SEVERE REPRIMAND and it is ORDERED that Respondent henceforth shall not be eligible to accept any assignments as a senior district justice.

View summary of this case
Opinion (Russo, J - June 29, 2000)
Order (Per Curiam - June 29, 2000)
Order (Per Curiam - August 23, 2000)

View all decisions
View all decisions with Summaries