Jefferson District Court judge publicly reprimanded
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A Jefferson District Court judge who jailed a witness without a hearing has been given a public reprimand.
The Courier-Journal reports that the Judicial Conduct Commission has voted 4-1 to publicly sanction Judge Sheila Collins for interrogating a witness without counsel and jailing her after the witness withdrew an allegation that she was a domestic violence victim. One member voted for a private reprimand.
The commission said in a release Friday that Collins “should never have directed the Sheriff to take this witness into custody and to charge the witness with a crime … That is the role of the duly elected prosecutorial authorities.” The witness was later released by another judge.
Her lawyers, retired judges Martin Johnstone and Steve Ryan, have asked the commission to reconsider its findings.
