BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's highest court is expected to consider a proposal that would allow it to remove judges from the bench while disciplinary cases are pending.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the proposal would let the Court of Appeals place a judge on interim administrative leave with pay as soon as the Commission on Judicial Disabilities finds that the judge has committed conduct warranting suspension or removal from office.
The court would still hold a hearing before making a final decision on a judge's status.
Last year, the commission recommended an immediate suspension for District Judge Devy Patterson Russell after concluding she yelled at colleagues, pushed a clerk and didn't properly handle search warrant materials. She continued to hear cases for seven months while she waited for a decision from the court.
