Given a situation where a person (who might have been speaking on a protected topic like the administration of justice) said something the judge felt threatened

Given a situation where a person (who might have been speaking on a protected topic like the administration of justice) said something the judge felt threatened by, the fact-finding and judgement should not have been left to that judge. A different judge, though no less prone to an emotional rather than rational response due to similarity of circumstances, would give the results a little more credibility.