Senator Anthony Palumbo, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Assemblymember Michael Tannousis, ranking member of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and Republican members of the Judiciary Committees today announced a formal complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct against Chief Judge Rowan Wilson.

            The complaint points to a recent appearance by Chief Judge Wilson where he referred to the state’s sentencing laws as “stupid”, and urged people not to vote for judges who don’t support his view on sentencing.  The comments were made at a forum on the Second Look Act, held by the Communities not Cages advocacy group. New York State law strictly prohibits judges from engaging in political activity.

            “The recent remarks by Chief Justice Wilson at the CUNY Law Symposium were political and highly inappropriate and bring his ability to be fair and impartial into question,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo.  “The job of the New York State’s top Judge is to ensure that our laws are upheld and impartially administered so that justice is served for all parties. Political opinion has no place in the judiciary and unfortunately, partisan bias has infiltrated our court system that should otherwise be sacrosanct.”

            “New Yorkers deserve a judicial system that is fair, impartial, and above politics,” said Senator Rhoads. “When the state’s highest-ranking judge publicly labels duly enacted laws as ‘stupid’ and encourages voters to reject judges who disagree with him, it raises serious concerns about the neutrality our courts are supposed to uphold. Judges are entrusted with interpreting the law, not campaigning against it. For the integrity of our judicial system to be maintained, these comments must be thoroughly reviewed by the Commission on Judicial Conduct.”

            Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said: “The public expects judges to lead by example, and their conduct must always remain within the bounds of the ethical rules that guide our courts, especially when we’re talking about a judge holding the highest position within our court system. When serious questions arise about whether those standards have been violated, they demand a full and fair review so the integrity of our judicial system is preserved.”

            “His improper comments cannot be made with impunity. Under Chief Justice Wilson, New York’s courts have become overly politicized, and we urge the Commission on Judicial Conduct to review this complaint as they would any other and give no special treatment to the Chief Judge,” concluded Senator Palumbo.