In an extensive investigation, Reuters has found that thousands of state and local judges around the United States have broken laws, violated ethical standards or abdicated their oaths of office–resulting in everything from personal enrichment to unlawfully jailing defendants–with nine out of ten remaining on the bench.
The alleged behavior includes episodes of sexual misconduct, being drunk during trials, nepotism, and accepting kickbacks. In one case, a Pennsylvania commission expunged the records of more than 2,000 juvenile offenders who were sentenced to prison terms so two judges could collect money from privately-run correctional facilities to keep their cells filled.
The Reuters report details how, even after these judges were disciplined by professional standards boards or even in court proceedings, 90% of them stayed on the bench.