Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Judge Nicholas claims he bullied Carthage officials, sought preferential treatment because he was "wet and frustrated"


The Missouri Supreme Court reprimanded Jasper County Circuit Court Judge John Nicholas Tuesday, saying he used his office and title to receive preferential treatment from Carthage city officials during a storm.

The Court relied on the findings of an investigation by the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline, which pulled no punches in its description of Nicholas' behavior.

In his defense, Nicholas said he was "wet and frustrated" that night.








During the evening in question, Nicholas demanded that city officials fix a downed power line in his street, a situation that city officials ranked 10th in their priorities of what needed to be addressed in the aftermath of the storm.

When the officials explained the situation to Nicholas, according to the Commission's findings, the judge indicated that was "their problem" and they needed to take care of his needs first.

The report indicates Nicholas liberally sprinkled profanities into his conversations with Carthage City Administrator Greg Dagnan, Police Chief Bill Hawkins and other city officials.

He also complained about the treatment of his friend, former City Parks Director Mark Peterson, who has been charged with stealing and money laundering in connection with the theft of more than $140,000 from the Parks Department.

Nicholas created so many problems for city officials that evening, they eventually moved his problem up the priority list just to get him to shut up.

From the Commission's findings:


"(T)he respondent used his position as an Associate Circuit Judge to demand that emergency resources be diverted from more pressing emergency situations to address his concerns about a downed cable line.

-while doing so, the respondent became irate and upset, used vulgar language to criticize the city of Carthage, city employees, and the police chief for their alleged failure to properly address respondent's concern about a downed cable and in a subsequent communication respondent used vulgar language describing the city's investigation of the former park director.

Respondent called the police communications officer three times to report a downed cable and told the police were already advised of the downed cable near or adjoining respondent's property, that the police did not believe the cable posed a hazard to respondent or the public and that other emergency situations therefore had priority, that available emergency resources were already busy addressing other more pressing emergency situations and that the judge's cable would be removed after the more pressing emergency situations had been addressed.

The Commission finds that the Respondent also called the city administrator Greg Dagnan on three occasions that night and again requested that the downed cable be addressed by emergency responders. Respondent was again told, in the city's opinion, Respondent's situation did not have priority and that emergency responders were attending to more serious emergency situations.

Respondent replied in the first call that it was "not my problem, are you going to take care of this or not?"

In the second call, the City Administrator again told respondent that there was a priority list for downed power lines and that "they'd be there as soon as possible."

Respondent replied, I don't want to hear that, you can, you can make people come out here.

In the third call, Mr. Dagnan asked respondent, "Why are you being like this?" The judge responded by "yelling" and "cursing" and demanding "are you going to do this for me or not?"

Mr. Dagnan thought respondent's behavior "reminded me of like a child."







The Commission finds that respondent used vulgarities during his phone calls with Mr. Dagnan.

The Commission further finds that the city administrator called Police Chief Bill Hawkins to report the Respondent's calls. Chief Hawkins called the police communications officer who advised the chief about respondent's situation.

Chief Hawkins called Respondent and Respondent again complained about the "cable line."

Chief Hawkins again informed Respondent that the city considered Respondent's cable line was a low priority.

Respondent called Chief Hawkins back and demanded that someone needs to get there "immediately" and further demanded that the chief needed to come there himself.

Chief Hawkins also related that Respondent had complained about the city spending money to "prosecute his friend," the former Park Director instead of using resources on other matters (such as Respondent's downed power line)

During his call with the chief, Respondent complained about his response from the city administrator. Respondent was described as in a "rage" and in "anger."

The Commission also finds that the Police Communications Officer was concerned that Respondent was "bugging" her chief. She then called the Street Department Superintendent Josiah Bayles who advised her that the Street Department was working on number three of the list of downed trees and that the Respondent's cable was number 10 on the list.

The Police Communications Officer asked that the Street Department "divert" to the judge's home because the Respondent was "bugging" the chief.

The Commission further finds that the Street Department Superintendent along with Street Department employee Steve Ponds and the Public Works Director Zeba Lee Carney diverted resources to Respondent's home to address Respondent's downed cable line which the city considered "low priority."

Superintendent Bayless found Respondent in the middle of the road being "pretty vocal." Respondent was "yelling," "on a rampage" and "very upset."

Respondent's screaming was loud enough that neighbors were coming out of their houses. Respondent used vulgarities to refer to the City of Carthage, the police chief and the city administrator.

The superintendent and his employee cut and rolled up the cable line to "make him (the Respondent) happy." Respondent's conduct embarrassed the superintendent.

The director reported Respondent said, "I'm a judge and they ought to be over here doing this." After they cut the line and rolled it up, Respondent hugged the Director, called him a "hero" and made the Director feel uncomfortable.

Street Department employee Steve Ponds described the downed line as "just a cable" and recalled the Respondent using vulgarities to describe the City of Carthage.

The Commission finds that Chief Hawkins reported his concerns to Circuit Judge Dean Dankelson of Jasper County who advised the Chief to report his concerns to this Commission.

In mitigation, the Commission finds that Respondent had apologized to the police chief and city manager for his conduct. Respondent claimed that he was directing traffic around the cable and acted as he did out of a concern for public safety and because he was "wet and frustrated."

The Commission concludes that Respondent was known as and identified himself as a judge. He used his title and office to demand and get preferential treatment. He was rude to the responders and freely used vulgarities in an effort to get his way.







The aforesaid activity was in violation of Supreme Court Rule 2-1.2 in that Respondent failed to act at all times in a manner that promotes confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary and failed to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety; and Supreme Court Rule 2-2.8 B in that he failed to be courteous to those with whom he dealt in an official capacity.

Such conduct is misconduct under Artice V Section 24 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri.

The Commission findings and conclusions indicate that Respondent has failed to act at all times in a manner that promotes confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

His conduct was discourteous. The Respondent agrees with the Commission's recommendations. The Commission recommends that the Supreme Court of Missouri reprimand the Respondent.


16 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:36 PM

    What a Child - - Judge John Nicholas Actions - Clearly shows how Privileged this A-Hole thinks he really is.

    Next Time You Vote - Just Remember this Guy could - Careless about the Little Guy - He is to Worried that he can't watch his TV.

    For him to even - complain about the treatment of his friend, former City Parks Director Mark Peterson, who has been charged with stealing and money laundering in connection with the theft of more than $140,000 from the Parks Department - Shows just how Disconnected and Above the Law - He thinks he is.

    I Hope the Rest of the Local Courts, Judges, Prosecuting Attorneys, and Courthouse Staff - Take Notes - - and get their Pompous Asses in Line - and Start Treating - John Q Public with Respect - I am Glad that they all Spoke Up and Took this Jerk Down several Notches - This Story has been Reported on a National Basis - - from now on - Judge John Nichola - will be Forever Connected to his Terrible Treatment of Men and Women - just doing their jobs.

    Judge John Nicholas - Should Resign - Or we need to Start a Petition to Permanently Remove Hime from our Court Systems.


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  2. Anonymous5:46 PM

    What does a reprimand actually mean? I know people can have a bad day, but that type of behavior from a public official is unacceptable. I am not sure a reprimand is harsh enough for his actions.

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  3. Anonymous5:46 PM

    Move farther south when your done. Newton County has a worthless Presiding Judge that struts with entitlement.

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    1. Anonymous3:50 PM

      You mean he acts like he is a Newton County Commissioner?

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    2. Anonymous5:48 PM

      Much worse.

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    3. Anonymous11:51 AM

      Tell that to a Newton County Deputy needing a pay raise.

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  4. Anonymous5:56 PM

    More public officials and service dpts need investigated around jasper county. Glad to see 2 judges so far have been caught.

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    1. Anonymous3:21 PM

      You are correct

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  5. Anonymous7:42 PM

    Could he be in line for freeman’s CEO role??

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  6. Anonymous10:22 PM

    What a dick

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    1. Anonymous3:22 PM

      This just proves what I’ve always heard about him

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  7. Anonymous11:55 AM

    Nice work there Jasper County Circuit Court Judge John "WET AND FRUSTRATED" Nicholas.

    Something he can really be proud of.

    An average Joe Blow might bave been arrested and charged with something.

    Unless perhaps they were able to play their "wet and frustrated" entitled @$$hole judge cards as well as this judge apparently did.

    One supposes that the public can never know for sure if a less important person could have gotten away with nonsense like which apparently impeded recovery efforts that evening.

    PRO TIP: DONT TRY THIS AT YOUR HOME!

    A quick search finds a number of previous mentions of this same name in the archives of The Turner Report:

    https://rturner229.blogspot.com/search?q=John+Nicholas

    Top of the list is this one:
    https://rturner229.blogspot.com/2014/10/joplin-globe-stands-up-for-publics.html

    From time to time over the past year, I have had readers tell me they cannot see how the C. J. Huff Administration has withstood the barrage of posts I have written detailing corruption, intimidation, misuse of taxpayer funds, and sheer incompetence.

    Every time someone has told me that, I have said that as long as I am the only one reporting on these stories, my record for accuracy does not matter, the documents I have posted to back up my reporting do not matter, all C. J. Huff has to do is say that this is just a disgruntled former employee seeking revenge and the problem magically goes away.

    The change will not happen until the rest of the media begins reporting on ringmaster C. J. Huff's circus of horrors.

    Slowly, but surely, that is starting to take place.

    The first to begin digging into the Huff Administration was KOAM, led by veteran education reporter Lisa Olliges. The station jumped on the infamous $8 million in "might-as-well" spending that CFO Paul Barr mentioned during an R-8 Board of Education meeting, though it did not use Barr's phrase, which has become a derisive term used to refer to almost any spending that C. J. Huff and his crack team recommends.

    KOAM also looked into the six-and-a-half-mile ribbon and did a strong two-part report on the school district's push to construct a $15 million early childhood center- a center that would put it in direct competition (with an unfair advantage) over people who make their living operating day care centers.

    KZRG's morning team of Chad Elliott and Darren Wright held C. J. Huff's feet to the fire during an August interview after Huff had misled the public by claiming that the new high school had not failed an inspection when the city inspection form clearly was marked with the word "failed." Huff had to admit to KZRG that it had failed, but tried to cover himself by lamely claiming that he did not know those inspections were graded.

    And now for the first time, C. J. Huff's efforts to control the message have been called out by two of the biggest news sources in the area, KZRG and the Joplin Globe.

    Though neither mention Huff by name, the latest attempt by the superintendent and his R-8 Board puppets to intimidate first-year board member Debbie Fort, was noted by the radio station and the newspaper.

    After Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting, KZRG reporter Joe Lancello was asking Dr. Fort questions concerning remarks she had made about teacher professional development and the amount of time it was taking away from the classroom.

    The board's attorney, John Nicholas, the same John Nicholas who is on the ballot for a Jasper County judge position next month, interrupted and said that all questions for board members needed to go through Board President Anne Sharp- it was "board protocol."

    It was intimidation- plain and simple.

    As far as I can tell, neither the Globe nor KZRG asked Nicholas who had given him the order to stop the interview. And though I am sure Nicholas would deny it, he would not have stopped Lancello if the KZRG reporter had been interviewing board members Mike Landis, Lynda Banwart, Randy Steele, or Shawn McGrew.

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    1. Anonymous3:25 PM

      He’s not a good lawyer or judge. Sounds like he could look into a new profession, I hope his lame duck reign is over

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  8. Anonymous12:28 AM

    Who wants this kind of person sitting on the bench if you have to go to court?

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  9. Anonymous11:35 AM

    It probably depends what kind of a person you are as to whether or not you'd want to appear in front of this guy...

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  10. Anonymous10:46 PM

    I like him, in court he's tough but fair. I've sat and listened to many cases while waiting and he's actually a really good judge.

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