EDITORIAL: On the bench

Goodsprings Justice of Peace Dawn Haviland is currently enjoying a paid vacation thanks to the state Commission on Judicial Discipline.

The commission late last month suspended the judge, who has served since her appointment in 1999, after concluding that she “poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public or to the administrative of justice.”

What that means, exactly, is anybody’s guess. The commission offered no further details.

“The whole thing has been confusing to me,” Ms. Haviland told the Review-Journal’s Natalie Bruzda. “I’m kind of at a loss. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

The secrecy is ridiculous and counterproductive. The integrity of the system depends on openness and transparency. The panel has taken the extraordinary step of removing a sitting jurist pending a hearing — it has an obligation to offer the public an explanation regardless of whether any formal charges have yet been filed.

Ms. Haviland last retained her seat when she ran unopposed in the 2012 primary. Residents of the area and the taxpayers who contribute to her salary deserve more than murky and vague declarations in the wake of the commission’s decision.