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.