When Kelly Ballentine was given several parking tickets, she lucked out by getting a lenient judge: herself. The Lancaster Magisterial District Judge dismissed a no-parking ticket and an expired registration ticket in December and a no-parking ticket in January.
It is an astonishing violation of judicial ethics.
She is not alone, however, as the article below discusses, judges in Michigan and New Jersey have been accused of fixing their own tickets or those of friends. One such judge is Michigan Jackson County District Judge James M. Justin who was suspended after he dismissed nine traffic cases against himself and his wife. He marked the tickets as “dismissed after explanation” — presumably to himself. Among the tickets were speeding tickets for his wife, Kim R. Justin.
Ballentine was elected as a magisterial judge in 2006. She had speeding tickets before taking the bench but then decided to handle such tickets herself after donning her judicial robes.
In May, Ballentine had to be reportedly removed from a courtroom by deputy sheriffs after a jury acquitted a man for various charges including burglary, indecent assault, and criminal attempt at a sex act. Ballentine charged that the man touched her leg in the middle of the night and that she fired at the man in her bedroom. The jury only found the man, Pedro Plata, guilty of trespass. Ballentine reacted badly to the verdict and had to be removed from the courtroom.
Source: Lancaster
What is the problem with this. The woman is a victim in a male dominated professor. You have many more men whores that screw you for the right price sometimes no price at all.
Diversity should not have to make adjustments for the ethically challenged.
Doing this kind of thing should merit immediate disbarment. It undermines the respect for the rule of law, the judiciary and certainly points to an unfitness to practice as an officer of the court. Simply disgusting.
Bette Noir 1, July 18, 2011 at 11:23 am
Los Angeles has a department city officials can go to to get their family’s and friends’ traffic tickets dismissed. At least, it did until a few weeks ago, when the newspaper found out about it.
Interesting… There are days when it seems like the tide may be turning… Naive, to be sure… but…
Los Angeles has a department city officials can go to to get their family’s and friends’ traffic tickets dismissed. At least, it did until a few weeks ago, when the newspaper found out about it.
Usually, many officials who would act like this ethically challenged Judge are the most self righteous in judging and punishing others. Why is that?
Time to dismiss her
Sounds like this “Judge” is not fit to serve as a member of the bar much less be admitted to the bar…..or maybe a bar is the problem….
http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/intelligencer-journal-lancaster-new-era-combined-saturday-edition/mi_8130/is_20110512/jury-acquits-city-4-charges/ai_n57465049/
I grew up in St. Paul, MN & my first ‘kid job’ was downtown near the City courthouse. I regularly had to navigate past a large sedan that parked right on the apex of the corner blocking both crosswalks. One day I saw a police officer ticketing cars with expired meters. I asked him why he didn’t have this guy towed. Turns out he was a police Lt. I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t arrest me for asking!