Contra Costa: Judge jails judicial reform advocate who discussed divorce online

That his ex-wife is a lawyer in the same county is just a coincident. I think the relevant quote is "A good lawyer know the law, a great lawyer knows the judge".

I think that the "judicial reform advocate" angle was not a red herring but instead it was part of the article's intent to suggest that the judge in this case was not merely wrong about whether court filings are considered public information, but was in fact actively attempting to persecute this man.

The fact that you, me, and most everyone else knows that throughout the United States unsealed court records are considered public information makes it strain the credulity that this judge (a professional) would not know that fact. Combine that with a plausible motive (that this man's political activism had just strengthened the judicial oversight body which had censured this judge numerous times) and we have the appearance of judicial impropriety.

Probably won't happen. Judges are pretty much immune to the consequences of their legal decisions. One would have to really f##k up royally to lose his position.