Bullying judge vows to fight her removal

Jan 2nd, 2009 by Michelle Lore

Here’s a proposed New Year’s resolution for all judges out there: “I will not bully court personnel this year.” (Not that any local judges would do such a thing anyway since we are all so Minnesota nice here.)

The reason for this lofty resolution comes to us from Pennsylvania, where a court earlier this week upheld a ruling against a former Luzerne County judge it described as a “bully,” removing her from the bench and prohibiting her from holding any judicial office.

On Wednesday, the Court of Judicial Discipline denied Ann H. Lokuta’s motion to reconsider the sanctions it handed down last month.

On Dec. 9, the court voted 6-1 to remove Lokuta from the bench. The court ruled she had failed to perform her judicial duties, terrorized courthouse workers and had employees run personal errands. (A cited example included using a law clerk for shopping, yard work and “cleaning, organizing, wrapping and packaging antiques and collectibles.”)

Lokuta called the sanctions “unduly harsh and excessive” and requested a new hearing on the sanctions and a new trial on the merits of the original complaint. The judge has apparently indicated she will continue to fight, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court if need be.