Judge who displayed gun at motorist faces misconduct charges

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A district judge from Erie is telling a state disciplinary panel he accepted responsibility for waving a handgun at another motorist when he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

Judge Thomas Carney said today he does not believe the 2009 highway incident and other activities cited by the state’s ethical watchdog constitute professional misconduct.

At a 2 1/2-hour trial in Harrisburg, the 57-year-old Carney told a state Court of Judicial Discipline panel that he does not believe he has ever placed his judicial office in disrepute.

The state Judicial Conduct Board accuses Carney of multiple violations of judicial ethics, including his public comments about pending criminal cases and the active role he has played in an anti-graffiti task force in Erie.

The panel is expected to issue a decision later this year.