Overview
- Grendell received an 18‑month law license suspension with 12 months stayed, triggering at least six months off the bench without pay.
- The justices immediately suspended him from judicial office for the duration of the active suspension, with reinstatement contingent on compliance.
- The sanction stems from a 2020 case in which he jailed two brothers who refused visitation and blocked their contact with their mother despite no finding of immediate danger.
- The court said his actions showed a willful disregard for the law, a failure to act impartially, and harm to public confidence, while dismissing separate political‑speech allegations on First Amendment grounds.
- He could return to serve the remainder of his term after the active suspension, but his term ends Feb. 9, 2027, and at age 72 he is barred from seeking reelection.