Griffen v. Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission

I must respectfully dissent from the majority opinion because I cannot fathom how this court can proclaim that our very own Canon is vague and, therefore, failed to put Judge Griffen on notice that his conduct was impermissible. I base my dissent on two distinct reasons: (1) Canon 4(C)(1) is not vague; and (2) assuming arguendo that the exception in Canon 4(C)(1) is open to interpretation, Judge Griffen’s conduct in lobbying members of the legislature was so egregious that there can be no doubt that it violated the Canon.

Turning first to the language of Canon 4(C), the majority correctly…