Judge Debbie Mendoza of Zillah, WA; ethical misfit

The Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct found Debbie guilty of engaging in the following misconduct, all of which took place while he was sitting as Walla Walla County District Court Judge.

• Failed to determine whether unrepresented criminal defendants understood their procedural and constitutional rights
• Failed to assure that defendants knew of their constitutional right to counsel, at arraignment and probation violation hearings
• Failed to record court hearings, despite the plain statutory obligation that they must be recorded
• Debbie employed uncertified, non-qualified interpreter’s contrary to statute
• Debbie improperly used bilingual jail staff to interpret at in-custody telephonic arraignments for non-English speaking defendants

Apparently, Debbie is under the impression that "due process" is the means by which the grass becomes moist in the a.m. 

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the apologists for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Washington State Supreme Court punished Debbie by gifting her with a complimentary admonishment.

As we speak (ca. June 2022), Debbie continues to practice her so-called brand of jurisprudence as a Zillah Municipal Court judge in Zillah, Washington.