A former Probate and Family Court judge was fined $4,000 for violating conflict of interest law after appointing his father to a paid position overseeing a home sale, the State Ethics Commission announced Tuesday. In December 2022, Army filled in as a Essex Probate and Family Court judge, presiding over divorce proceedings, the release said. A previous judge in the proceeding ordered the sale of the couple’s home, and the sale was still in contention when Army took over the case. The judge then appointed his father, Lawrence Army Sr., as a Special Master to assist in the sale of the home. In the position, his father would receive a fee of $450 an hour, the commission said.