| ► Judge Barbara Johnson of South Bend, IN; Dufus |
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Judge Barbara Johnson of South Bend, IN; Dufus Judge Johnson sits as a Magistrate on the St. Joseph County Probate Court in South Bend.
In early 2012, the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications found Judge Johnson guilty of the following misconduct that involved her handling of a child custody case in August 2011.
While the custody dispute was pending, the child’s mother died. Shortly after the mother’s death, Barbara held a custody hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, Barbara awarded custody of the child to the grandparents. She did so even though she knew that the father had never been notified that she was going to conduct such a hearing.
At the hearing, the grandparents, who live in Kenya, let Barbara know that they intended to take the child to Kenya to live with them. Barbara then issued an “Order on Change of Custody” granting custody to the Maternal Grandparents and allowed them to take the child to Kenya. Barbara issued this order even though Indiana law that required parental notification of any change of custody hearings.
When the father discovered Barbara’s illegal Order, he hired a lawyer and in early 2012 won full custody of his child. An order was also issued to the grandparents to return the child from Kenya, which they subsequently did.
As a consequence of her misconduct, the apologists for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Board punished Barbara by gifting her with a complimentary reprimand.
This Dufus should have been made to reimburse the taxpayers for the cost of the additional hearings and the legal fees paid to the father’s attorney to have the child returned to him from Kenya. Put simply, why should the taxpayers of Indiana be made to pay for the gross incompetence and ignorance of Judge Barbara Johnson?
As we speak (ca. August 2012) Barbara remains on the bench in South Bend, Indiana.
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