A Massachusetts choose has been “publicly reprimanded” by the Supreme Judicial Court for his Facebook posts in regards to the 2020 presidential election.
Housing Court Judge Joseph Michaud — a former Dartmouth selectman and Republican candidate for state rep. who was sworn in by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2018 — violated the Massachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct when he made these social media posts in 2020, the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct has introduced.
Michaud, who took dwelling $195,472.70 as a choose final 12 months, made these Facebook posts main as much as and following the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. His social media posts had been about political figures, political occasions, and politicized public occasions.
In its order, the Supreme Judicial Court adopted the Commission on Judicial Conduct’s advice that Michaud get publicly reprimanded for that social media exercise.
“The Court accepts the recommendation of the Commission that the Judge be publicly reprimanded for his misconduct,” the Supreme Judicial Court wrote. “Public confidence in the judiciary is undermined when a judge’s social media activity casts reasonable doubt on the judge’s capacity to act impartially even if the judge is in fact impartial.”
His Facebook account is now deleted.
When the Herald reached Michaud by cellphone on Sunday, the choose declined to remark.
“The Judge has acknowledged that he erred by sharing these types of posts that undermine public confidence in the judiciary,” the Supreme Judicial Court wrote. “Contrary to the Judge’s perception that the postings had been solely seen to his Facebook ‘friends,’ the postings, referring to political figures, political occasions, and politicized public occasions, had been publicly seen.
“Accordingly, Judge Joseph L. Michaud is hereby publicly reprimanded for the conduct described in the Stipulation of Facts, namely, his making posts on social media that expressed views on political candidates, political figures and issues, and posts that could create the appearance of bias based on gender, ethnicity, or immigration status,” the courtroom added.
The Supreme Judicial Court additionally ordered that Michaud keep away from attempting to establish, retaliate towards, or affect any one who has — or who he believes — cooperated with the Commission on Judicial Conduct’s investigation into his judicial conduct.
In 2018, the governor swore in Michaud as an affiliate justice to the Massachusetts Housing Court, Metro South Division. A embellished member of the U.S. Army, Michaud had served on energetic obligation intermittently for the earlier 30 years as a lieutenant colonel within the Judge Advocates General Corps.
He had his personal follow, the Law Offices of Joseph L. Michaud, the place he specialised in residential and industrial actual property transactions and landlord-tenant issues.
Michaud is a former selectman in Dartmouth, and he ran for state consultant within the ninth Bristol District in 2010. He didn’t face any opponents within the Republican main, after which he misplaced the final election to the Democratic candidate.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”