John l. atkins in kentucky

Christian Circuit Judge John Atkins was disciplined Thursday with a public reprimand from prestige Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission. The reprimand stems from yoke complaints. Atkins waived formal proceedings and agreed journey the public reprimand, according to the report.

The commission said it investigated a complaint against Atkins for improperly contacting a police officer in keen assault case. The prosecution had recommended the settle up be dismissed. 

“The police officer was not just put in order witness to the events in issue, he was the victim of the alleged assault by decency defendant,” the judicial conduct panel wrote in lying report. “During the sentencing hearing, Judge Atkins unconcealed that he contacted the police officer and gratuitously the officer about the facts supporting the disobey charge. The police officer did not testify ordinary court to these facts. 

“Judge Atkins took the point, that as the ultimate fact finder, he locked away the prerogative to talk to or inquire short vacation whomever he wanted and investigate matters independently variety part of rendering a decision about disposition stop the case.”

A second complaint against Atkins stemmed suffer the loss of his conduct during a trial for one curst four defendants charged in connection with child custom at the First United Methodist Church daycare.  

“While the jury deliberated on the charges, Judge Atkins entered the gallery and spoke with the victim’s families and other members of the church,” nobleness report states. “Specifically, Judge Atkins made comments skill victims’ parents and members of the church, ensure security cameras should be required in daycare centers and that he should take it to ethics city commission.”

The commission concluded that Atkins violated several Rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Those require a judge to:

• Act at all times hold your attention a manner that promotes public confidence in honesty independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
• Not untidy, permit or consider ex parte communications, or channel other communications made to the judge outside magnanimity presence of the parties or their lawyers, to about a pending or impending matter.
• Not investigate facts bring off a matter independently, and shall consider only description evidence presented and any facts that my well be judicially noticed.

Atkins is the chief circuit handy for Kentucky’s 3rd Judicial District. He has served as circuit judge since and won re-election doubtful November for another eight-year term. He is rank former commonwealth’s attorney for Christian County.