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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Judicial Conduct Commission cited 7th District Judge Bruce Halliday's out-of-court visits with a woman on probation in its recommendation that the Price-based judge be publicly reprimanded.
The commission said there was no evidence of romantic involvement in Halliday's visits with Natalie Blanton of Price. It said his actions were driven by his goal of reducing recidivism and were well intentioned.
But it said the contacts violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, created the appearance of impropriety and were prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Halliday visited the woman, whom he had earlier jailed and placed on probation for drug charges, at her home and listened to her complain about another woman's case, according to charges and findings released Monday by the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission.
Shortly after hearing the woman's complaint, he made an unannounced visit to her home and brought her roses.
He intended the roses to be a "keep up the good work -- sorry the judge did something that made your recovery even more difficult" offering, the commission said.
Her husband said he there at the time and Halliday brought the flowers only after asking his permission.
Commission Director Colin Winchester said rules preventing such communications are meant to ensure fairness. He said Halliday's efforts went beyond what even judges in drug court diversion programs are allowed to do.
"When you have a judge talking to one side and not the other side, it's the perception that something is awry," Winchester said. "Even the drug court judges don't go to (defendant's) houses or their jobs.
"What happens if you go (to a defendant's home), and she's sitting there smoking meth when you walk in the door?"
The commission has asked the Utah Supreme Court to publicly reprimand Halliday.
Halliday declined to comment through a court clerk Monday.
His attorney, Ron Yengich, said there was no dispute that the judge's motives were pure. At the time of the incidents, there was no drug court diversion available for addicts in Price, and Halliday wanted to try a different approach to encourage the defendant, Yengich said. Her probation was terminated in November 2004.
"There was no prior personal or post-personal relationship," he said. "His idea was that he would involve himself much more like judges do in the drug court situation.... This was his idea to do something different than just putting someone in jail and throwing away the key."
The commission investigated Halliday after Emery County Attorney David Blackwell alleged the judge's impropriety on March 8.
Blackwell said he heard about Halliday's visits from a probation officer.
Blanton, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance -- prescription drugs -- before Halliday in November 2001.
He ordered her to serve 30 days of home confinement, pay $128 in restitution and serve 12 months of probation.
She was arrested on the same charges the following October and November. Halliday ordered her to serve one year in jail and to complete an inpatient treatment program before she resumed probation.
Halliday was concerned about how jail time might affect her family, which included a newborn and two other young children, according to the commissions findings.
The judge was also concerned about Blanton's husband's ability to provide for the financial and physical needs of the family while she was incarcerated, the commission said.
During her probation, Halliday held several in-court review hearings to track her progress, and also met with her several times outside of court and once in his chambers.
The first such meeting was at her home. Halliday went there to "check her progress" and "complimented her on her attitude and suggested that he might ask her for future input as a former drug offender and addict if this 'experiment' was successful," the commission said.
The woman's husband, Ricky Blanton, told The Salt Lake Tribune Monday that Halliday was wonderful to their family.
The judge allowed Blanton to see her newborn and other children during the day as part of a supervised work release while serving her jail term.
"Any parent knows how important it was for bonding at a young age," Ricky Blanton said. "If it weren't for Judge Halliday, my children wouldn't have been able to bond with their mother, which is important for the rest of their lives. I am disgusted that there was a complaint made."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
