Anyone not believing there is a liberal bias on the courts throughout this country need look no further than this case.
Taylorsville Justice Court Michael Kwan not only posted negative comments about Republicans and President Trump on his social media accounts, but he also lectured those appearing before the bench in his court as to the evil ways of Trump and the Republican party.
Thankfully, the Utah Supreme Court agreed to uphold the suspension that had been levied against Judge Kwan.
Blistering Trump Posts
As a judge, you have to put your political beliefs on the backburner to dispense justice.
This means you do not get to lecture those appearing before you in court.
And you surely do not get to make controversial posts on social media slamming the current administration.
That, however, is exactly what Judge Kwan did.
In one social media post, Kwan wrote:
“Welcome to the beginning of the fascist takeover.
“We need to be diligent in questioning congressional Republicans if they are going to be the American Reichstag and refuse to stand up for the Constitution, refuse to uphold their oath of office, and enable the tyrants to consolidate power.”
In another instance, a man told the judge he was going to pay off his excessive traffic fines with the tax rebate he would get from the Trump tax cuts, a comment the judge did not take very lightly.
Word of Kwan’s court statements and posts made their way to the Judicial Conduct Commission (JCC) and Kwan was suspended six months without pay.
First Amendment Rights
Kwan defended his statements, saying they are protected under the First Amendment.
However, the Utah Supreme Court begged to differ.
Justice John Pearce wrote, “Fulfillment of judicial duties does not come without personal sacrifice of some opportunities and privileges available to the public at large.
“And, as a person the public entrusts to decide issues with the utmost fairness, independence, and impartiality, a judge must at times set aside the power of his or her voice.”
This is actually not the first time Kwan has found himself in hot water over his political commentary in the courtroom.
Kwan had been previously reprimanded for letting his politics play a part in the sentences he was handing out.
His is one courtroom you definitely do NOT want to wear a MAGA hat in.
That, however, will not be a problem for at least the next six months, as Kwan sits on the sidelines without collecting a paycheck.
Source: Justia US Law
We depend on our readers to help us get the word out. So, if you agree with this article, please like and share the article on your favorite social media outlet.