Quid Pro Quo?

A town court justice (who is not an attorney) has been censured by the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The justice had reduced a speeding ticket for the daughter of a member of the town board.

He then attended a town board executive session to discuss the board’s decision to deny him a pay increase and rebuked the member:

I took care of a ticket for [your] daughter…this is the thanks I get.

Then, he stated, that by refusing a pay raise, the board had “shoved it up [his] ass.”

The commission found these words “shocking” and “ill-considered.”

A dissent would require a hearing to “evaluate the effect of these statements by respondent on the appearence of impropriety and whether the appearance should disqualify him from further serving as a judge.” (Mike Frisch)