A state panel’s reprimand of a Federal Way judge underscores yet again the legitimate public interest in records about the judge’s management of his court.
On Friday, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct disciplined Municipal Court Judge Michael Morgan for swearing at the city’s police chief, making threatening comments to court employees and discussing matters of a sexual nature with his staff.
Morgan is the judge who for nearly a year has fought The News Tribune’s attempts to obtain investigative documents about his role in fostering an allegedly hostile workplace. He has sued to stop the City of Federal Way from releasing the documents.
A King County judge sided with the city and newspaper earlier this year. Morgan appealed; the state Supreme Court last week agreed to consider expediting the case.
The longer the suit drags on, the worse for Federal Way taxpayers footing legal bills as well as voters who might have to decide Morgan’s re-election next year without a complete picture of his performance.
Morgan has accepted his scolding from the state’s judicial watchdogs; now how about coming clean with the public?
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