Introduction
Welcome to the official web site of the New York State
Commission on Judicial Conduct.
This web site contains information on the
Commission's authority and jurisdiction, its history and procedures, its recent decisions
and other material related to the field of judicial ethics and professional discipline.
You
are visitor number
to this site since September 1, 1999.
New and Noteworthy
Matter of
Mary Anne Lehmann
and
Matter of William C. Pelella
The Commission
has released its determinations that Binghamton City Court Judges Mary
Anne Lehmann and William C. Pelella (Broome County) should be censured
and admonished, respectively. The decisions are available at
Lehmann
Decision and
Pelella Decision. An accompanying
press release is available at
Press Release.
Matter of
Michael R. Ambrecht
The Commission
has released its determination that Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael
R. Ambrecht (New York County) should be censured. The decision is
available at
Ambrecht Decision. An
accompanying press release is available at
Press Release.
Matter of
Robert G. Dunlop
The Commission
has released its determination that Chazy Town Justice Robert G. Dunlop
(Clinton County) should be censured. The decision is available at
Dunlop
Decision. An accompanying press release is available at
Press Release.
Court of
Appeals Accepts Removal Determinations
Matter of
David F. Jung
The Court
of Appeals has accepted the Commission's determination to removed
from office Family Court Judge David F. Jung (Fulton County).
The decision is available on the Court's website:
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/.
The Commission
had released its determination dated February 13, 2008, that the judge should be removed from office
for egregious violations of the fundamental rights of litigants in
custody matters.
The determination is available at
Jung Decision. An accompanying
press release is available at
Jan. to March 2008 Releases.
On March 11, 2008, Judge Jung requested review of the Commission's determination by the
Court of Appeals. On March 13, 2008, the Court suspended
Judge Jung, with pay, pending review. Briefs were filed with the
Court and oral argument was held on September 9, 2008.
Matter of
Dennis LaBombard
The Court
of Appeals has accepted the Commission's determination to remove
from office Ellenburg Town Justice
Dennis LaBombard (Clinton County). The decision is available on
the Court's website:
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/.
The Commission had released its
determination dated December 12, 2007, that the judge should be removed from office,
among other things for presiding over a criminal case in which his
step-grandchildren were defendants and for intervening in a case
before another judge in which his step-child was a defendant.
The determination is available at
LaBombard
Decision. An
accompanying press release is available at
Oct. to Dec. 2007 Releases. On
January 9, 2008, Judge LaBombard requested review of the Commission's
determination by the Court of Appeals. On February 7, 2008, the
Court suspended Judge LaBombard, with pay, pending the review.
Judge LaBombard did not submit papers in furtherance of his request for
review, and on March 13, 2008, the Court removed him from office.
The Court's order is available at
LaBombard Removal Order. On March
18, 2008, the judge moved to vacate the removal order, which the Court
granted on April 24, 2008. Briefs were filed with the Court and oral argument
was held on
September 9, 2008. Decision was rendered October 23, 2008.
New Phone
and Fax Numbers
The Commission's
New York City Office has new phone and fax numbers: 646-386-4800
(phone) ♦ 646-458-0037 (fax)
The Commission's
Albany Office has a new phone number: 518-453-4600. The Albany fax
number remains the same: 518-486-1850.
The Commission's Mandate and History
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is
the state agency responsible for investigating complaints of misconduct against judges of
the state unified court system and, where appropriate, determining to admonish, censure or
remove from office those judges found to have engaged in unethical behavior. All
determinations are subject to review in the Court of Appeals, New York State's highest
court.
For a fuller description of the Commission's mandate
and history, please refer to the section on
Mandate &
History in the
General Information page of this web site.
Commission Profile
There are 11 Commission members, each serving a term
of four years. The Governor appoints four members, the Chief Judge of the Court of
Appeals appoints three, and each of the four leaders of the State Legislature appoints
one. The members serve part-time, without compensation. The Commission elects
one of its members to serve as chair.
The Commission appoints an Administrator and Counsel,
who serves full-time and hires and directs the staff. The Commission's offices are
located in New York City, Albany and Rochester.
In addition, the Commission is assisted by a lawyer
who is the Clerk of the Commission.
A listing of
Commission
Members and
Staff, and selected biographies, are located in
the General Information
section of this web site.
Contact Information
The best way to communicate with us is by letter,
particularly if your purpose is to make a complaint against a judge. (See the page
within in this web site on
Filing a Complaint.)
You may
also contact us by fax or e-mail, as indicated below; but please note that, by law, all
complaints must be in writing and signed. Communications regarding
complaints should be sent in writing to one of the postal addresses below.
Because the Commission members decide whether to
investigate a complaint, the Commission staff is not permitted to advise complainants or
potential complainants whether their complaints would be investigated.
- Telephone
- 646-386-4800 (New York City)
-
518-453-4600 (Albany)
- 585-232-5756 (Rochester)
-
- Fax
- 646-458-0037 (New York City)
-
518-486-1850 (Albany)
- 585-232-7834 (Rochester)
-
- Postal Addresses
- 61 Broadway ♦ New York, New York 10006 (Principal
Office)
-
Corning Tower, Suite 2301 ♦ Empire State Plaza ♦ Albany, New York 12223
- 400 Andrews Street ♦ Rochester, New York
14604
-
Email
the Commission:
General Inquiries:
scjc@scjc.state.ny.us
Comments Regarding Pending Rules
Changes:
rulemaking@scjc.state.ny.us
For information on
public records, go to
Public Records
on this website.
Useful Links:
New York
State Government Web Site:
www.state.ny.us
New York State
Court System Web Site:
www.nycourts.gov/home.htm
or www.courts.state.ny.us
Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics:
www.nycourts.gov/search/ethics_opinions.asp
Judicial Campaign Ethics Center:
http://www.nycourts.gov/ip/jcec/
New York State Commission on Public
Integrity:
http://www.nyintegrity.org
Court System's Ethics Commission:
http://www.nycourts.gov/ip/ethics/index.shtml
New York State Judicial Institute:
http://www.nycourts.gov/ip/judicialinstitute/index.shtml
Committee
on Open Government:
www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/coogwww.html
