Supreme Court Closer to Deciding Buffington's Fate

THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
MASTER DOCKET CALENDAR
FIFTH SITTING - SEPTEMBER 06 - NOVEMBER 05, 2010
SUBMITTED CASES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2010

2010-JP-00871-SCT
Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance v. Larry Buffington (Sub.)
Hon. H. David Clark, II, Ruling Judge (2 vols.)
APPELLANT - Darlene D. Ballard, Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance,Jackson
APPELLEE - James Ashley Ogden, Jackson

Larry Buffington's wife works at hospital he arranged contract for

Larry Buffington's most recent Statement of Economic Interest lists that his wife works at the Covington County Hospital.

Last year Larry Buffington admitted he arranged a meeting between Covington County Supervisors, members of the hospital board, and a friend of his that resulted in his friend getting the contract to run the hospital. Now his wife works there. Sounds fishy.

These are his words on the hospital contract (audio clip):

"I asked Joey McNulty to be here because I do want to say another thing since I'm 'so anti-Simpson County.' Joey McNulty got the contract on my local hospital in Covington County. I would dare to say that he would tell you, if hadn't been for me he wouldn't have gotten that contract, because I asked him to come down. We were having trouble with our local hospital, like a lot of them do, and I asked him to come down, and I arranged for a meeting with a couple of members of the Board of Supervisors and couple of members of the Board of the Hospital to discuss it, before they were fixin to sale the hospital, to give the con-the hospital to somebody else. He was a friend and I knew he was competent and I knew he could do the job. So I went to bat for him, and I don't know exactly what he made off of it, but I know what his contract was for, and I know how much we billed last year. And it generated probably about a little over a million dollars for this community, because what did he do with that million dollars? He hired twenty to twenty-five more people. Local people. People that reside in-in Simpson County. May have hired three or four from Covington County, but most didn't want to drive up there. So I asked him to come today because I was going to use him to show, because I first of all, I care about all my counties."

A judge arranges for his friend to get a hospital contract who then employs his wife. Is that what judges do in Mississippi?

Simpson County Paper on Bad Larry Buffington

Larry Buffington told the Magee Courier he "misspoke" when he didn't care about the law.

The Judicial Performance Commission has recommended that Chancery Judge Larry Buffington should be publicly reprimanded and assessed costs associated with their findings that the judge illegally subpoenaed issued to two supervisors in February 2009.

Buffington was acting outside guidelines of the law when he personally issued the subpoenas that were not complete, according to the performance commission.

Buffington said he felt it was a fair resolution to the matter and that he had become frustrated when he wanted to meet with the supervisors and they had refused to do so unless subpoenaed.

"I should have let this issue die, but I didn't," he said.

He said he misspoke when he made the statement that he did not care if he complied with the law. According to Buffington the fees associated with the findings are $100.

The newspaper editorialized "it was the wrong thing to do."

Of all the allegations that were made against Judge Buffington, the only one to hold water was regarding Buffington's subpoenas of two supervisors, which was the wrong thing to do. Buffington then apparently got his dandruff up and vocalized his disregard of the law. Again it was the wrong thing to do.

Buffington puts the Buff in buffoonery

Sid Salter says Larry Buffington "puts the Buff in buffoonery."

Readers, you remember Larry Buffington. He's the guy that back in 2006 thought the taxpayers of District 13 were so blessed to have him serving as their chancellor that he would simultaneously run for re-election as chancery judge while also seeking the state Court of Appeals seat that was being vacated by Judge Leslie Southwick when he was appointed to the federal bench.

Buffington is apparently one of those candidates who believe the voters owe them a job and that the taxpayers should pick up the extra tab to pay for special elections made necessary by the political avarice of dual candidacies.

Buffington lacked authority to command Supervisors Pete Lowery and Randy Moore to appear before him to answer questions about who leaked to the media his appointment of former state Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz as a Simpson County Youth Court public defender.

"Judge Buffington admitted that he had failed to comply with the law when issuing the subpoenas, but did not care," the commission report said.

Subpoenas for county supervisors who disagree with the judge. Dual candidacies that may be legal but are contemptuous of the very real burdens on the taxpayers.

That's putting the Buff in judicial buffoonery, isn't it?

Larry Buffington Violates Mississippi Constitution

The Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance has ruled that Larry Buffington's actions violated the Mississippi Constitution and recommended to the Mississippi Supreme Court that he be publicly reprimanded. Perhaps the scolding will include, "Bad, Larry Buffington."

The Clarion Ledger spoke to Bad Larry Buffington.

Reached Thursday evening via phone, Buffington said of the commission's recommendation: "It's fair. It's time to conclude this and move on."

Buffington Runs Again

This ought to be an interesting year. Larry Buffington has filed for reelection. What will he do this year now that he can only run for one judicial seat at a time? Will he run for reelection? Or will he act like he is running and then pull out at the last moment and put his hand picked choice on the bench? That is a rumor, but who could be worse than Buffington, anyway?