Should Washington Supreme Court Judge Be Disciplined For Yelling Tyrant At Mukasey?

This little item managed to go unreported at the time Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed last week in Washington while delivering a speech to the Federalist Society. It turns out that Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders shouted, "Tyrant! You are a tyrant!", before walking out on Mukasey's speech. Sanders explained his actions to the Seattle Times:

"Frankly, everybody in the room was applauding or sometimes laughing, and I thought, 'I've got to stand up and say something.' And I did," Sanders told The Seattle Times Tuesday. "I stood up and said, 'Tyrant,' then I sat down again, then I left."

The Seattle Times story notes that Sanders initially refused to acknowledge his actions when first questioned about it by reporters. Mukasey did not collapse until some time after Sanders' outburst. The story notes that Sanders could be disciplined by the state's Judicial Conduct Commission for failing to act "dignified" toward those he deals with in his official capacity. Sanders says he thinks his actions fall within the free speech realm. Sanders was previously admonished for visiting a sex offender treatment center and accepting documents from two of the offenders. He was also disciplined for speaking at an anti-abortion rally, but that action was later overturned by a court.