A Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, judge is currently under investigation, facing suspension subsequent to the revelation of multiple alleged violations.
Court documents disclosed that Sonya McKnight, the Magisterial District Judge in Harrisburg, is being suspended without pay by the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline.
The purported infractions include theft of time, promotion of a product on her social media, and a failure to attend several court dates without providing an explanation.
According to the court documents, McKnight also extended additional vacation days to four members of her staff without proper documentation and endorsed a product on her personal Facebook page, concurrently sharing images of herself adorned in judicial robes.
Judge suspended after violating judicial ethics
Such conduct violates established judicial ethics pertaining to online etiquette and social media.
According to guidelines articulated by NCSC, The Center for Judicial Ethics, “A judge may not comment on, recommend, or criticize businesses, products, or services on such sites if it is reasonably likely that the judge can be identified as a judge.”
Additionally, the court documents highlight McKnight’s prior suspension in February 2021 for allegedly obstructing the arrest of her son in 2020.
Subsequently, McKnight initiated a citizen’s complaint against police officers Anthony Cummings, Farida Kingsboro, Chad Showers, and Dominic Cristillo, asserting that they fabricated reports regarding her son’s traffic stop with the intent to tarnish her reputation, citing race and gender as motivating factors.
While acquitted of criminal charges related to interfering with her son’s arrest, the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline (CJD) concluded that McKnight had abused her authority as a judge.
She endured over six months of suspension without pay during the legal proceedings related to her son’s arrest.
The recent filing on November 8 underscores the Court of Judicial Discipline’s position that McKnight’s behavior suggests a mindset wherein she perceives herself as exempt from legal constraints.
The document explicitly states, “The extensive range of misconduct points to Judge McKnight’s apparent disregard or indifference towards her duties as a Magisterial District Judge.”