Judge Dread
The New York Commission on Judicial Conduct has removed a town court justice for conduct described in a press release
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has determined that Jeremy L. Persons, a Justice of the Guilford Town Court, Chenango County, should be removed from office for making inappropriate sexual comments in court and in chambers, and for engaging in numerous other acts of misconduct.
The Commission found that Judge Persons:
• Made sexually charged comments to and about attorneys appearing in his court.
o Judge Persons told two attorneys that he had a three-way relationship with his ex-wife and another woman, but the two women cut him out of the relationship. Referring to his ex-wife, he commented, “She likes the hole better than the pole.”
o He told an Assistant Public Defender that he would “like to watch [her] golf,” and when she said she was not good at golf, replied “that’s not why I want to watch you.”
o He told the Public Defender that he was looking forward to the return of the Assistant Public Defender and said, “She’s better looking than [you]
• Displayed the following bumper stickers on his car which he typically parked near the non-public entrance to the court, where it was visible to police officers and/or defendants in custody:
o A bumper sticker that read, “Boobies Make Me Smile.”
o A graphic of “Judge Dredd,” referring to the fictional character known as “judge, jury and executioner.”
• Failed to respond and appear on traffic tickets resulting in two suspensions of his driver’s license. The judge also failed to renew his car insurance which also resulted in the suspension of his driver’s license.
• In eventually responding to his traffic tickets, gave the court clerk his @nycourts.gov email address, which resulted in the court clerk making a notation on his file that he was “a judge at Guilford, NY.”
• Carried his handgun in a hip-holster which was easily visible when he was not wearing his judicial robe, notwithstanding that his pistol permit required the pistol to be concealed. Additionally, on one occasion the judge placed his handgun on the bench when a public defender was appearing before him.
• Failed to file required monthly reports with the State Comptroller in a timely manner, which resulted in his salary being stopped.
• Failed to cooperate with a subsequent Office of Court Administration audit of his court records, which resulted in an order that all his pending cases be assigned to another judge and no new cases be assigned to him.
• Failed to cooperate during the Commission’s investigation and proceedings.
In its removal decision, the Commission said:
[Judge Persons] violated the Rules when he behaved in an undignified manner by making inappropriate comments to and about attorneys appearing before him; engaged in a pattern of failing to comply with the law; invoked his judicial office in connection with a personal matter and failed to cooperate with OCA and the Town of Guilford in the investigation of his judicial conduct. His underlying misconduct was significantly exacerbated when he chose to ignore the Commission’s proceedings.
Judge Persons, who is not an attorney, has served as a Justice of the Guilford Town Court since 2020. His current term expires on December 31, 2023.
(Mike Frisch)