Laura Blackburne update: What's the deal?

So now the Queens County Bar Association has officially come out in support of Judge Laura D. Blackburne. They agree that what she did was wrong (duh!) but think that removal from the bench would be too harsh a penalty.

This is from the same organization that rated her as unqualified when Ms. Blackburne ran for the judgeship in the first place back in 1995!

And in 1992, Ms. Blackburne resigned as chairwoman of the New York City Housing Authority after it was revealed that she misspent over $300,000 in Housing Authority funds to renovate her office, including such things as a pink leather. Her justification was that the people who come into her office ought to feel more at ease.

Run that by me again: Ms. Blackburne is not fit to sit on the bench, but removing her from the bench would be too harsh a penalty? Am I missing something there?

[Someone has come up with the idea that "Maybe It Takes a Blogger to Change a Court System." The "It Takes A Blogger" blog is much more into Judge Judy Kaye's black-robed bench brats than I am, so I will refer you all to that one, and will add that link to my list.]