In re the Disciplinary Proceeding Against Hammermaster

Municipal Court Judge A. Eugene Hammermaster appeals a determination by the Commission on Judicial Conduct (the Commission) ordering censure, and recommending suspension for 30 days without pay. The Commission found that Judge Hammermaster violated the Code of Judicial Conduct (CJC) Canons 2(A), 3(A)(1) and *2143(A)(3) by making improper threats of life imprisonment and indefinite jail sentences, improperly accepting guilty pleas, holding trials in absentia, and engaging in a pattern of undignified and disrespectful conduct toward defendants. Judge Hammermaster admits that he engaged in the…