Three judges in the blue state of New York have reportedly resigned after the emergence of major misconduct allegations, with one admitting that he believed all defendants were guilty, another who was involved in a bizarre scandal, and a third who was caught driving drunk, leaving the state’s judicial investigative watchdog organization with no choice but to force all three to resign.
For context, in early 2025, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued multiple press releases detailing its investigations into three judges, Richard Snyder, Louis Violanti, and Julie Kuck, who were all obligated to resign after the commission determined that their conduct did not meet judicial standards.
In a February 4, 2025, press release, the commission detailed the resignation of Judge Snyder, who the commission said claimed he could “not be impartial” after he tried to be excused from Grand Jury Duty by repeatedly saying “that all litigants who appeared before him ‘did something wrong’ and, among other things, ‘I know they’re guilty because they did something wrong. That’s how they got a ticket.'”
In response to Judge Snyder’s resignation, Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian condemned the judge’s behavior, saying, “It is bad enough that a judge would seek to avoid such a fundamental civic
responsibility as jury service. It is astounding that the judge would claim an inability to be impartial, and to declare under oath that the accused must be guilty or they would not be in court.”
Moreover, a day later, on February 5, 2025, the commission announced the resignation of Judge Louis P. Violanti, who was charged with misconduct for “orchestrating a fraudulent court proceeding to dismiss the traffic ticket issued to an acquaintance.” According to the commission, Violanti was resigning for the second time after he previously left the bench in 2013.
Responding to Judge Violanti’s resignation, Administrator Tembeckjian called his behavior “outrageous” and said, “Had the Commission not been
constrained by time limits in the law, the judge would have been removed in 2013 and constitutionally ineligible to return. Instead, a decade later, he came back, only to face discipline and agree to the inevitable: permanent departure from the bench.”
Finally, on February 3, 2025, the commission announced the resignation of Judge Julie Kuck, who was investigated for driving while intoxicated. The judge pleaded guilty and resigned from office on January 10, 2025, agreeing “never to seek or accept judicial office at any time in the future.”
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In response to Judge Kuck’s resignation, Administrator Tembeckjian decried her actions, saying, “Driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other perception-diminishing substances endangers the driver, passengers, pedestrians and others on the road.” He added, “Judges must be especially mindful of setting the right example in this regard, since their conduct on or off the bench is so often scrutinized and publicized.”
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