LexPress: Judge Not (Anymore)
By Jesse Sunenblick - jsunenblick@judicialstudies.com
and Leah Nelson - lnelson@judicialstudies.com
Posted: 05-20-08
Southport's Town Justice turns in his robes after an investigation by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. In other CJC news, an infusion of new funds helps the Commission cuts its backlog. Elsewhere, a judge relates his trip to crime-torn Bulgaria.
INVESTIGATION PROMPTS SOUTHPORT TOWN JUSTICE TO STEP DOWN
The Commission on Judicial Conduct has given John Taft, Southport Town Court Justice, his walking papers. A January 2008 complaint alleged that Taft had violated three rules of judicial conduct while overseeing a 2003 case in which his personal physician was accused of speeding: (1) Failing to disqualify himself despite his ties to the defendant; (2) Initiating ex partecommunications with the defendant; (3) Sua sponte adjourning the case "in Contemplation of Dismissal." Though he admitted to the conduct in question in his 2008 answer to the complaint, Taft denied having violated any rules of judicial conduct — but he agreed to resign and never pursue judicial office again. He will step down on May 31. -L.N.
COMPLAINT CUTTING
The Commission on Judicial Conduct pared down its backlog by 14 percent last year, says its newly released 2008 annual report. According to The New York Law Journal, CJC administator Robert H. Tembeckjian attributed the cut to last year's budget increase, which, he says, "should enable the commission to even further reduce its backlog this year and, in general, bring its inquiries to a close more promptly absent an unexpected surge in new complaints." Of the record 1,711 complaints the commission received in 2007, 328 were filed against part-time town and village justices, of whom 241, or 73.5 percent, are not lawyers. Close to 90 percent of the complaints were dismissed. -J.S.
Posts
9 comments:
DISMISS.. DISMISS.. DISMISS..That's the only thing these criminals know what to say.. It's not my Jurisdiction, or DISMISS.. I can't wait to they're all handcuffed and sent off to JAIL.. I wonder if that JUDGE will say DISMISS, or it's not my JURISDICTION...
The NY STATE COMMISSSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT still goes after town justices more than any elected member of the judiciary.I know elected judges guilty of those charges and much, much worse and they have been and remain on the bench..without scrutiny or with the JCC refusing to take any complaints against them..I am not fooled by anything using STATE, before its name!
the self appointed despots will do anything they have to do to make the case come out the way they want. If an attorney doesn't do the right thing he gets threatened and better not appear before the Judge again because he/she is dead meat.
The Commission on Judicial Conduct is a total joke, just another OCA hit squad. Help save the environment, don't send them any complaints....they just throw the paper away.
here in White Plains what has been related in the posted comments is close to the practice. One thing they do engage in is horsetrading. If you want to stay in business you have to play the game.
I sent documents proving that a judge, yes a friggin judge, committed a crime, yes A CRIME. All I got was a form letter saying we don't see any problem. OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH YOU EYES CLOSED FOR YOUR INSIDE FRIENDS!!!!
You interrupted them playing footsy with each other...and that is for real. You must catch them when they are not bored and think they should conduct business that day! The commission is quite a unique collection of "investigators"! If you knew them, you would understand why things get tossed!
It's unbelievable that you can hand them evidence (hard, physical evidence) of crimes (plural) and they come back (without any further inquiry) with it being unfounded.
I filed a complaint with the Com. on Judicial (MIS-)Conduct and never heard anything, not even one word. When I called I was told no one could speak about the matter since everything was Confidential. Often wondered if they ever kept a record of the well documented complaint? I concluded that my complaint and I were considered bulge to be ejected. Great system we have here, it really works, but not for the citizens. Am I the only one that has had this mistreatment? I think not.
Post a Comment