In a 4-3 majority ruling, the Missouri Supreme Court suspended a judge for one year without pay for allegedly failing to return timely rulings in several cases.
A divided Missouri Supreme Court suspended Carroll County Associate Circuit Judge Joe Don McGaugh for one year without pay after he allegedly failed to perform his judicial duties in a timely manner, taking up to six years in some cases to render judgments.
In a Friday decision, a 4-3 majority determined McGaugh violated several rules of the judicial code of conduct by failing to timely perform his duties and exhibiting a pattern of dishonesty. The court suspended McGaugh without pay for one year beginning March 1, departing from the Commission on Retirement, Removal, and Discipline’s recommendation of a six-month suspension without pay.
