Now Singletary is in danger of losing his three-month-old robe - and the $82,733-a-year paycheck that goes with it - for a campaign appearance videotaped and made public on the YouTube Internet site.

It was an appearance that raised $285 for his campaign.

The state Judicial Conduct Board filed five misconduct counts against him Tuesday for an April 22, 2007, campaign appearance in which he pressed a group of motorcyclists for campaign donations.

"You're all going to need me in Traffic Court, am I right about that?" he asked the group.

John W. Morris, the lawyer who will defend Singletary at trial before the state's Court of Judicial Discipline, said yesterday that neither he nor the judge would comment.

In a brief interview last October after the YouTube video became widely publicized, Singletary said he meant nothing except to assure his supporters he would "give them a fair trial in the courtroom."

Singletary said his father paid his fines.

The Judicial Conduct Board's eight-page complaint alleges that Singletary's appearance at a "Blessing of the Bikes" rally at Malcolm X Park in West Philadelphia - Singletary is also a pastor and avid motorcyclist - "brought the judicial office into disrepute."

The video shows Singletary under a tent telling motorcyclists, members of the Philadelphia First State Road Rattlers, that he needs to raise $15,000 within a week. He then asks an aide to pass around a bucket, and some bikers begin reaching into pockets and wallets.

Though Singletary was then a candidate for the job, the Judicial Conduct Board complaint says the rules of conduct for magisterial district judges, as well as Article V of the state constitution, govern candidates and active judges.

The complaint charges that Singletary brought the judiciary into disrepute, improperly engaged in partisan political activity and personally sought contributions, failed to "maintain the dignity appropriate to judicial office," improperly made promises or pledges other than to impartially perform his judicial duties, and failed to establish and use a committee to campaign and raise money.

Joseph A. Massa Jr., the Judicial Conduct Board's chief counsel, who will prosecute the case, said Singletary and his lawyer have 30 days to respond to the complaint.

Thereafter, the eight-member state Court of Judicial Discipline will set a trial date and assign a three-judge panel to hear the case.

According to the Judicial Conduct Board's Web site, the 15-year-old agency gets 500 to 600 complaints a year about judges, but no more than a half-dozen result in a formal complaint against a judge. Another one to two dozen result in one of two types of letters of reprimand. The remainder are dismissed after investigation.

If the charges are proved at trial before the Court of Judicial Discipline, a judge can be further reprimanded, suspended, removed from office, and restricted from future judicial work.