A judge is arrested for drunken driving and cocaine possession. Another is indicted for rape and bribery. A third resigns after being found incompetent to stand trial on charges stemming from a motorcycle crash. A series of egregious incidents involving New Mexico judges in 2004 led to a dramatic increase in funding for and, as a result, activity of the Judicial Standards Commission, the state body charged with holding judges accountable to the Code of Judicial Conduct.<\/p>\n
Thirty-four percent of petitions for discipline or temporary suspension of judges filed by the 38-year-old commission have come since Jan. 1, 2004. In The increase in activity has been controversial. Some say the system is flawed and judges aren\u2019t being treated fairly. Others defend the system, which was created by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in the 1960s.<\/p>\n In this special report, Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics examines the commission, its role and whether the system is just.<\/p>\n Part 1: A crackdown on misbehaving judges<\/span><\/p>\n Monday, Sept. 11, 2006<\/p>\n John Brennan couldn\u2019t have known when he tried to evade a DWI checkpoint in Click here<\/a> to read the article.<\/p>\n Part 2: Has the commission gone too far?<\/span><\/p>\n Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006<\/p>\n Some in \n Click here<\/a> to read the article.<\/p>\n Part 3: Will the system change?<\/span><\/p>\n Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006<\/p>\n The increase in the Judicial Standards Commission\u2019s funding and activity has led to scrutiny that could result in changes to the system for holding judges accountable to the Code of Judicial Conduct.<\/p>\n \n Click here<\/a> to read the article.<\/p>\n Part 4: Legislators investigate<\/span><\/p>\n Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006<\/p>\n Two attorneys and a judge criticized the judicial discipline process and suggested changes to improve the system during a candid legislative committee hearing Thursday in