Judge in trouble for extorting litigant

WUHAN - A judge and a tribunal chairman of a local court in East China's Shandong province were penalized on Thursday for extorting money in the name of a "case operation fees" from litigants in 2008.

Chen Bentao, a presiding judge at the Fangzi District People's Court in Weifang, was given a demerit and his colleague, Zhao Shiguo, got an admonishment after they were videotaped asking for 19,000 yuan ($2,782) from a trade company in Central China's Hubei province.

Huang Liangdong, vice-president of the court, also received an admonishment in the case, which is still under investigation by the local disciplinary body.