The Judicial Branch Certification Commission complaint review committee voted to recommend permanent revocation of court reporter Cheryl Dixon’s certification after finding multiple ethics violations and citing a Court of Criminal Appeals contempt order.

At the meeting, staff said a complaint filed Nov. 26, 2024, alleged Dixon failed to timely file records and did not notify the commission after a contempt finding. Staff reported the Court of Criminal Appeals found Dixon in contempt on March 5, 2025, and ordered her to provide her portion of a record to court reporter Latoya Young by March 25; a show-cause hearing was later scheduled for March 26.

“While the disciplinary proceedings that resulted in probation last year were underway, these violations were accruing,” Ronald Morgan, director of the JVCC, told the committee, noting the contempt finding and the court’s orders were reasons the JVCC sought a temporary cease-and-desist order against Dixon.

Prosecutor Bina Mohan summarized the investigation and said the committee found violations in multiple Code of Ethics provisions (4(b)(1); 7(d); 7(e); 5(a); 5(b); and 10(f)) and — given Dixon’s “lengthy prior disciplinary history” — recommended permanent revocation of certification as the appropriate sanction.

Dixon told the committee she is working to file the outstanding material in a death-penalty appeal (the Marks case), described medical problems with her thumb and scheduled surgery at the end of March, and said she had filed extensions for the large appeal. “I am working on it. I’m gonna get it filed by the 25th,” Dixon said. She provided background on logistics, including having produced a substantial portion of the volumes and relying on a scopist and proofreader.

Janice moved to accept the prosecutor’s violations and the recommendation for revocation; the motion was seconded and carried. The committee will forward its recommendation to the full JVCC; the committee chair told Dixon she will receive written notice describing next steps and her rights to respond or contest the recommendation.

Committee members stressed the seriousness of missed deadlines in appellate and death-penalty proceedings and noted that probation from an earlier disciplinary matter did not preclude accumulation of new violations. The temporary cease-and-desist order is intended to slow new assignments while the committee and commission consider final action, staff said.

The committee’s recommendation is advisory; the full Judicial Branch Certification Commission will consider the committee’s recommendation at a future meeting and issue any final order.