Judge with Clouded Judgment Alters Public Records Involving Grandson

The following incident may strike one as almost comical, unless one stops to consider the full implications. Recently, the Judicial Conduct Board of State of Pennsylvania filed a complaint against District Judge Susan E. McEwen, who has presided over the Feasterville, PA court for over 22 years.

Judge McEwen is charged with altering public records and "indecorous language and behavior" directed at the arresting officer. She reportedly screamed and swore at the poor guy and accused the whole police force of being deadbeats. The official complaint states that the judge's behavior has disgraced her whole office. If convicted in State Court of Judicial Discipline, she is likely to be removed from the bench. But the 60-year-old judge does not appear to care; on the contrary, she seems to have taken on the whole system.

The reason for such unbecoming and uncharacteristic conduct is the judge's 18-year-old grandson Matthew. The youth had a rowdy underage drinking party at his grandma's house. The police raided the party in response to a complaint and arrested ten people, including Matthew. Grandma Judge claims to have been asleep through the whole thing.

She appears to have completely forgotten her responsibilities as a respected public official, blindly following her inability to resist grandmotherly indulgence of the little punk. Of course, he completely took advantage of the situation; can you blame the kid? He didn't even bother showing up in court, and another presiding judge convicted him in absence and ordered a hefty fine.

Grandma then had Matthew appear in her courtroom and reduced his fine, blatantly altering public records. She quashed the clerk's protests reminding everyone that it's her court. Quite predictably, when the boy failed to pay anyway, the judge just wrote a check.

Wouldn't you say this woman is best barred not only from the judge's bench, but from her grandparenting duties, as well? Not only does she appear to have quite corrupt morals herself, she has managed to instill them in her grandson. Her behavior demonstrates complete disregard of her duties, the court of law, the public and the integrity of public records. Unfortunately, this youth got the message only too well: who needs responsibility when one's grandma is a judge?