Arkansas' highest court has ordered the immediate removal of a judge from office in addition to his lifetime ban from the bench for disclosing confidential details about an adoption involving actress Charlize Theron's child and making off-color remarks in an online forum.
Justices on Thursday accepted the lifetime ban that Faulkner County Circuit Judge Mike Maggio and the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission agreed to, but rejected the panel's recommendation that he be suspended with pay until his term expires at the end of 2014. Instead, the court ordered his immediate removal from the bench.
Maggio admitted posting comments about Theron's adoption proceedings on an online forum dedicated to Louisiana State University sports fans. The adoption occurred in the same court division as Maggio's.
