‘Dope ‘til he dies.’ Kentucky judge reprimanded over improper comments in court
A Kentucky judge has been disciplined over what a state panel called “repeated” violations of state ethics rules.
Pike Circuit Judge Howard Keith Hall threatened a prosecutor, made inappropriate comments, took part in improper discussions and aired grievances from the bench, the state Judicial Conduct Commission said in an order.
The commission issued a pubic reprimand to Hall on April 2.
Hall, who served as county attorney before being elected a circuit judge, cooperated with the investigation and agreed to the sanction.
The commission is authorized to look into complaints against judges and can impose discipline that ranges from a private reprimand to removal from office if a finds a judge has violated conduct rules.
The commission cited multiple cases of alleged ethics violations by Hall.
In one case in January 2024, for example, Hall had contact with a defendant outside the presence of anyone from the prosecutor’s office, completed a form for the person to get a court-appointed lawyer, and appointed a lawyer for him.
The commission said it was improper for Hall to have contact with one side of the case without the prosecution present.
When the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office asked Hall to recuse himself from the case, Hall accused a prosecutor of trying to destroy him and threatened to “make life difficult for them,” the order said.
And when the prosecutor referred to other cases of Hall allegedly having improper contact with only one side of a case, Hall “escalated his hostility,” the commission said.
In another case, Hall admitted he had called a defendant in a criminal case and told him to come to court without telling prosecutors, and in another case filed an order expunging a person’s criminal record without telling prosecutors or holding a hearing.
On another occasion Hall said in court people were “out to get him,” and another time said in court that the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office had lodged ethics complaints against him and he had “cuffs thrown on” him because of the rules.
In another example, Hall said from the bench in April 2024 that if he did the same things in his court that were done in drug court, some “nutjob” would file a complaint against him.
Hall also said that drug court operated like a cartel and a Star Chamber — in reference to a proceeding perceived as unfair — and that the courtroom of Circuit Judge Eddy Coleman, a fellow judge in Pike County, was “worse than jail,” according to the commission’s order.
In May 2024, Hall said after sentencing someone that the person just “wants to dope ‘til he dies,” and discussed the case with the next defendant before him, the commission found.
The commission said Hall’s conduct showed bias, a lack of judicial decorum and abuse of his authority, undermining public confidence in the integrity, impartiality and independence of the judiciary.
Some comments also demonstrated unprofessional and personal bias, undermining the dignity of the judiciary.
Coleman is on the Judicial Conduct Commission but recused from considering the case.
