Kudos to Chief Justice Jim Hannah, who issued an order today, removing Circuit Judge Mike Maggio from hearing any cases currently on his docket. The order was issued pursuant to the Supreme Court’s superintending control over the administration of law in the state under Amendment 80, and it notes that “the supreme court has been advised that court operations in [Maggio’s court] have been disrupted, and that the orderly administration of justice has been severely compromised, due, in part, to recusal issues.”
The order goes on to note, “All judges are afforded the rights provided in amendment 66 of the Arkansas Constitution, and this order should not be deemed as a judgment about, or a determination of, any issues that are or could be pending before the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.”
A few things of note here:
1. The order says that special judges will be appointed by separate order to pick up the cases on Maggio’s docket.
2. Apparently, while he won’t actually be doing anything, Maggio will still be paid his salary.
3. If Maggio had even the slightest amount of self-awareness, he would resign from the bench immediately and save himself the increased public scrutiny of being paid very well to literally sit and do nothing while all of this plays out in the JDDC.