Charlene Day Suspended

Charlene Charlet Day, a judge on the East Baton Rouge Parish Family Court since 2011, was suspended without pay for 180 days by the Louisiana Supreme Court after the state's Judiciary Commission found she committed "willful misconduct" by abusing her power to hold people in contempt of court. Among the findings: Day issued a bench warrant that led to a teacher being arrested at the school where she worked.

The Commission found Day violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by locking up litigants in her courtroom for contempt. The Supreme Court justices unanimously agreed a suspension was warranted (one justice thought a lesser penalty would have sufficed) and ordered Day to pay a $6,260 fine in addition to the suspension.