There are different ways we learn about judges who misbehave. In some cases, we learn about the misconduct after all of the proceeding are complete, and a public reprimand is issued. In other cases, we learn about the misconduct but not the judge who committed the misconduct, following a private reprimand. Such was the case with Judge Ross, although we figured out her identity pretty quickly. And then there are the cases where we learn about the misconduct before the proceedings were completed, or even began. Such is the case with Judge Ryan Nelson of the Ninth Circuit.
Eugene blogged about the incident last night. Bloomberg Law had additional coverage. (As an aside, Bloomberg Law has some of the most thorough coverage of the lower courts today; they consistently outperform other outlets.)
Here, I'll offer a few preliminary thoughts.
