Canon 1: A Judge Should Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary

…. “A judge should maintain and enforce high standards of conduct and should personally observe those standards, so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved.”

Call me strict, but I don’t feel having adulterous sex while your clerks snicker outside the door is consistent with a “high standard of conduct.

Canon 2: A Judge Should Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in all Activities

…A judge should respect and comply with the law and should act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

…A judge should not allow family, social, political, financial, or other relationships to influence judicial conduct or judgment.

Again, maybe it’s just me, but using office hours to play hide the salami wouldn’t prompt me to have confidence in the judgment of a judge. Also, having sex in a judge’s chambers might be deemed sufficient to make a police commander thing he might be able to influence said judge.

Canon 3: A Judge Should Perform the Duties of the Office Fairly, Impartially and Diligently

…The duties of judicial office take precedence over all other activities.

…A judge should… maintain order and decorum in all judicial proceedings.

…A judge should be patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and others with whom the judge deals in an official capacity.

…A judge should diligently discharge administrative responsibilities, maintain professional competence in judicial administration, and facilitate the performance of the administrative responsibilities of other judges and court personnel.

….A judge should practice civility, by being patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous, in dealings with court personnel, including chambers staff. A judge should not engage in any form of harassment of court personnel.

Having sex in a her chambers violated all of these. It wasn’t dignified, it places recreational sex over her judicial responsibilities, it did not maintain decorum, it was disrespectful to her staff and created a hostile work environment. Otherwise, she was great!

Canon 4: A Judge May Engage in Extrajudicial Activities that are Consistent with the Obligations of Judicial Office 

… a judge should not participate in extrajudicial activities that detract from the dignity of the judge’s office.

The jokes write themselves.

But wait…there’s more! Judge Ross couldn’t even comply with the terms of her rap-on-the -wrist punishment. Here is the “letter of apology” she sent to her clerks, which rates a putrid 10 on the Apology Scale:

“Thank you for your contributions to our court during your clerkship. I convey my deepest apology for not taking steps to ensure that it was a more positive experience. I wish you all the best in your future legal endeavors and in life.”

Unbelievable. This was so clearly inadequate that Chief Circuit Judge William Pryor of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta sent Ross a letter informing her that the initial apology letter did not address her misconduct with sufficient specificity. Ross then sent a revised letter apologizing for exposing the clerks to her “inappropriate personal relationship.” “My initial letter was entirely deficient, as I did not take full accountability for my actions, and I failed to give you the apology that you deserve,” wrote Ross.

What everyone deserves is for this unethical judge to resign and save everyone the bother of impeaching her.