It’s a job that demands restraint, judgment, and the kind of quiet strength you don’t find in many professions. But when judges become the story instead of the stewards of it, the foundation beneath the rule of law begins to crack.
Take Michigan’s Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig. The Judicial Tenure Commission says she created a climate of fear and intimidation in her courtroom. A psychological evaluation deemed her “unsafe to practice,” a deeply troubling phrase when uttered about anyone entrusted with deciding another’s liberty. The report was hidden, delayed, and ultimately dragged into the light, revealing a judge accused of weaponizing her authority — not serving with it.
Then there’s Texas Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin, now suspended without pay after being indicted for tampering with a witness and official oppression. His bench is now empty, awaiting the slow churn of justice. But the larger question looms: how many rulings did he render while allegedly manipulating the very system he was sworn to uphold?
In another corner of Texas, U.S. Magistrate Jeffrey Manske quietly retired following serious but unchallenged allegations linked to medical and psychological impairments. The judiciary may have closed the book on his misconduct due to “intervening events,” but the public is left with pages unturned and questions unanswered.
Meanwhile, in South Dakota, every judge in the Third Judicial Circuit recused themselves from a fraud case involving the ex-wife of one of their own. That might seem like the system working — a firewall against bias — but it also highlights just how intertwined justice and personal relationships can become.
Even in quieter moments, the line between propriety and perception matters. In New York, an ethics committee reaffirmed that judges can hire interns from their former law firms — but only with full transparency and walls built high against conflicts of interest.
Five stories. Five different courtrooms. Yet one common thread: public trust is fragile. The bench doesn’t just demand knowledge of the law — it demands humility. When that is lost, justice doesn’t just falter. It disappears.
Disclaimer: The news on Abusive Discretion is from the public record. Editorials and opinions are light-hearted opinions about very serious topics not stated as statements of fact but rather satirical and opinion based on the information that is linked above.
