Aberdeen Judge Faces Sanctions

ABERDEEN, Ms (WCBI) An Aberdeen Municipal judge has agreed to sanctions and fines proposed by the Commission on Judicial Performance.

Judge Robert Fowlkes admits he violated judicial conduct standards following a heated verbal exchange with a probation officer back in February 2012.

The events all unfolded when that probation officer told the Judge she thought she had an outstanding warrant for an Aberdeen man who was in the courtroom as a spectator for a trial. Judge Fowlkes told the probation officer she couldn’t arrest the man and then an argument ensued.

The conflict comes because the man in question was also a tenant in some rental property owned by the Judge. The Judicial Commission says that is a conflict and the judge was wrong for getting involved. The state supreme court today ordered Fowlkes to pay a One thousand dollar fine plus be publicly reprimanded in open court.