Letter to the Editor: Larry Buffington's Arrogance

The Jackson Clarion Ledger printed this letter to the editor today.

Judge's 'order' really arrogance
Kudos to Simpson countian Tom Bruckner for filing a judicial watchdog complaint against Chancery Judge Larry Buffington. ("Complaint lodged in hiring of ex-justice," Feb. 19).

In an arrogant abuse of perceived power, Buffington "ordered" the county to "hire" former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz in a part-time, $400- a-month, Youth Court position. Admittedly, Diaz, a friend of Buffington, needs one more year to qualify for state retirement. And Buffington's decree from on high would have rewarded his friend with a lifetime retirement check.

Even more arrogant was Buffington's demands that public officials assemble before him on Feb. 11 to raise their hands if they didn't like his actions.

I'm reminded how, over the years, our state legislators have managed to tweak the law to get themselves covered under the retirement system, how they've fiddled with the system to increase their retirement benefits.

Buffington joins this entire group on the arrogance pedestal.

Don Drane
Madison

The online comments, as always, are most entertaining.

Blogs Agree on Bad Larry Buffington

Everyone is talking about Bad Larry Buffington.

Mississippi Perspective - We’re going to move on down to Simpson County now, and let me just say that I’m not big on telling a judge he mishandled something, but Judge Larry Buffington botched the handling of former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz’s appointment from nearly the get-go.

Folo - JPC complaint for Buffoonington - Last week we shook our heads a little over the performance Simpson County Chancery Judge Larry Buffington put on at a meeting he’d called to explain his appointment of former MS Supreme Oliver Diaz as a part-time public defender. Now Buffington has apparently collected himself a JPC complaint for his trouble.

Sid Salter - Judge Buffington: Has he finally stepped in it?

Clarion Ledger - Complaint lodged in hiring of ex-justice

Respond Mississippi - Larry Buffington: Admissions Caught On Tape - It ain't getting better for Judge Larry Buffington. Now a complaint has been filed against him with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. And the evidence, as shown on WLBT, is pretty strong.

Larry Buffington reverses himself

Sid Salter blogged Chancery Larry Buffington: Braying even louder

Buffington has ordered two Republican supervisors to appear before him on Wednesday so he can explain why he ordered them to hire Diaz. Seems Buffington didn't order the Democratic supervisors to appear, just those from the GOP. Buffington apparently wants to find out who told the media about his little job for former Justice Diaz. Exactly why that matters, other to a large judicial ego run amok, is uncertain. What is certain is that voters ought to pay attention to this exercise in trying to take the First Amendment out for a spin around Simpson County.

Then came this update from Salter: Chancery Judge Larry Buffington: See your subpoena, raise you one motion to quash?

Buffington apparently wants to find out who told the media about his little job for former Justice Diaz. Today, Madison County attorney and longtime Republican Andy Taggart filed a motion to quash the subpoenas. It will be interesting to see how far Buffington really wants to push this matter - which appears on its face to be a tremendous abuse of judicial discretion.

Now it seems Buffington gave a tacit admission he was wrong. Salter blogs: Judge Buffington caves in, grants motion to quash partisan subpoenas...

Chancery Judge Larry Buffington granted the motion to quash the ill-advised and partisan subpoenas of two Republican county supervisors in Simpson County filed by those supervisors by their attorney, Andy Taggart, this morning. Taggart said Buffington then went to the Board of Supervisors meeting, made a long explanation of his actions and his intentions in Simpson County, then left. The board then went on with their business.

Buffington issued subpoenas. An attorney challenged those subpoenas. Buffington accepted the challenge, which is a a tacit admission that he was wrong to issue them in the first place. Bad Larry Buffington, bad.

Bad Larry Buffington: Who Told on Me?!?!

Bad Larry Buffington is using the power of his Court to find out who tattled about his appointment. Apparently, he thinks what he does should be secret. He thinks what he does should not been placed under public scrutiny. No, Bad Larry Buffington is above that. He is the law.

WLBT-TV:

A Simpson County Chancery Judge wants to find out just who tipped off WLBT news concerning the appointment of former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz to the position of Youth Court Public Defender. Our Bert Case explains just how the Judge is going about trying to find out the answer: "Chancery Judge Larry Buffington has issued subpoenas to the two Republican members of the Simpson County Board of Supervisors, Pete Lowery and Randy Moore, but not to the three Democrats on the board, ordering them to appear before him in this court room next Wednesday morning at 8:30."

WLBT says that Judge Larry Buffington wants to know who told the press. And for him, that's enough reason to order Simpson County elected officials to appear before him and tell him. Who is surprised at Bad Larry Buffington?

No Retirement for Diaz?

So, after Bad Larry Buffington appointed his buddy Oliver Diaz to a position in Simpson County that didn't need filling, just so Diaz could get his state retirement, it turns out that Diaz won't qualify! At least, thats what PERS told the Clarion Ledger.

Buffington last month ordered that Diaz be hired at $400 per month, plus retirement.

Diaz acknowledged last month he thought the work would go toward his state retirement. Buffington said in the previous interview that Diaz, who lost a Supreme Court re-election bid last year, told him he needed one more year of employment to qualify for the state retirement system.

Pat Robertson, director of the state Public Employee Retirement System, said Wednesday she couldn't speak specifically about Diaz's employment. But she said rules and regulations of PERS requires a person to work at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month as a part-time public employee to qualify for the state retirement system.
The office sent a letter to the county, informing officials of that.

"If Justice Diaz will not work at least 80 hours per month and his earnings are less than one-half of the normal compensation for a full-time public defender, he is not eligible for coverage and his earnings as a less than half-time public defender should not be reported to PERS," Deputy Director Shirley Sessoms said in the letter.

Youth Court meets once a month in Simpson County.

Diaz said Wednesday his employment was never about the state retirement system. He said he made a commitment to Buffington to perform the job for a year and he plans to fulfill that obligation.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...now Bad Larry Buffington has exposed himself, Oliver Diaz has to do a job in Simpson County PLUS he has to find some other job that will qualify for his retirement.