A Mobile County circuit court judge will soon be returning to the bench after being suspended for judicial ethics violations, including referring to Gov. Kay Ivey as “Gov. MeMaw” and making other disparaging remarks.
The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed a complaint against Judge James Patterson in June alleging he violated the “Canons of Judicial Ethics.”
The complaint said Patterson had, on multiple occasions, used profanity and made off-color remarks both in his private chambers and in front of staff and jury members. The “denigrating” remark against the governor happened in April 2020 when he referred to Ivey as “Gov. MeMaw” in a written order, according to Courthouse News.
The complaint also accused Patterson of illicitly “redirecting court funds to address budgetary concerns.”
In an effort to resolve the matter quickly, Patterson stipulated that the complaint “accurately states the facts” and agreed to a list of sanctions, including a public censure, “cultural sensitivity” training and paying court costs of $2,741.60.
Patterson is expected to return to court Monday where he will serve without pay for 45 days, per the complaint.
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