The complainant was a party (the applicant) in a civil litigation matter

20060004 - The complainant was a party (the applicant) in a civil litigation matter. The complainant alleged that the judge shouted, used insulting language, was biased against disabled persons, and referred to the complainant as “mental.”

The matter was closed after court transcripts and tapes were reviewed. In referring to letters written to an elderly lady by the complainant using derogatory and inappropriate language, the judge had said, “My concern was for the applicant’s mental health.” The comment was deemed relevant in light of the judge’s review of the complainant’s actions and his motives in the context of the court proceedings. The court transcripts and tapes also revealed that the judge spent a lot of time patiently explaining different procedures to the complainant, and the allegation of bias against people with disabilities was unfounded.