Name: Thomas C. Warren
Title: Judge
Court: Chelan District Court
County: Chelan
Discipline: Reprimand
Method of Resolution: Stipulation
Discipline Date: 10/13/1995
Canons Violated:1, 2(A), 3(A)(2), 3(A)(3)
Summary: Pursuant to a stipulation and agreement, the Commission publicly reprimanded a judge for comments from the bench in a number of proceedings that reflected a pattern of inappropriate, insensitive, and/or offensive comments. The judge agreed not to engage in such conduct in the future, agreed to accept a reprimand, and agreed to attend a cultural diversity program. (1) During a hearing, the judge had said "I want to tell you, Mr. Ramos, that it's bullshit. This thing was sentenced on July 9, 1991. You've had 11 months and you have not paid a single dime to this man. You've screwed him . . . ." (2) During a hearing, he had stated "Then why would you do it here in our city, in our city. . . ? You are not an animal, you are not a dog out there, you're a human being. In this country you use bathrooms. And if you can't use bathroom, you go back to Morales." (3) During a hearing, he had stated "come on, all you're doing is making her look like an idiot here . . . . All I want to do is chew butt on Mr. Wybenga at the moment." (4) During a hearing, he had made the following comment about an attorney to his client: "Well, you might want to shop around." (5) In a warrant fine hearing, he had made the following comment about the defendant's wife: "Now, if Mrs. Flores, she didn't post the money, deciding that she had some other good lookin' guy she'd rather spend the time with, ah, if it wasn't posted you could certainly post it now." (6) One day, after the court called Garcia, Ponce, and Sanchez, the judge stated "You know, you'd think we were living in Mexico." (7) During a sentencing inquiry, he stated "you're not going to be able to send any more money back to Mexico, huh? Well, you know that's too bad, because we don't here in Chelan County have to pay for your family in Mexico or wherever you're from . . . . Maybe they should start sending money back from Mexico so you can pay your fine." (8) During a hearing, he had stated "You could've hired a limousine to drive you and your friend around all night long for the amount that this ticket is going to cost you; maybe even airplane tickets to Mexico. . . ." (9) During a discussion with a defendant concerning his warrants, the judge had stated: "All you've done to these courts is say, 'screw you, judge' every time down the line, including ours from back in 1992 . . . ."
Case Documents Available:
Letter of fulfillment filed 8/22/1996.
Stipulation and Agreement Pursuant to WAC 292-12-020(6) and Order of Reprimand filed 10/13/1995.