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    LeRay Town Justice John Hallett Resigns After Being Charged With Making Homophobic Remarks and Gestures To An Attorney

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    A town court justice in Jefferson County, New York resigned while under formal charges by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for making homophobic remarks to an attorney. The judge agreed to never again seek or accept judicial office. He was accused of making inappropriate comments about a film festival and the actor Viggo Mortensen, as well as gestures implying oral sex. The Commission accepted his resignation and closed the case.

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    LeRay Town Justice John Hallett Resigns After Being Charged With Making Homophobic Remarks and Gestures To An Attorney

    Uploaded by

    Newzjunky
    9K views4 pages
    A town court justice in Jefferson County, New York resigned while under formal charges by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for making homophobic remarks to an attorney. The judge agreed to never again seek or accept judicial office. He was accused of making inappropriate comments about a film festival and the actor Viggo Mortensen, as well as gestures implying oral sex. The Commission accepted his resignation and closed the case.

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    LeRay Town Justice John Hallett resigns after being charged with making homophobic remarks and gestures to an attorney

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    A town court justice in Jefferson County, New York resigned while under formal charges by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for making homophobic remarks to an attorney. The judge agreed to never again seek or accept judicial office. He was accused of making inappropriate comments about a film festival and the actor Viggo Mortensen, as well as gestures implying oral sex. The Commission accepted his resignation and closed the case.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    9K views4 pages

    LeRay Town Justice John Hallett Resigns After Being Charged With Making Homophobic Remarks and Gestures To An Attorney

    Uploaded by

    Newzjunky
    A town court justice in Jefferson County, New York resigned while under formal charges by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for making homophobic remarks to an attorney. The judge agreed to never again seek or accept judicial office. He was accused of making inappropriate comments about a film festival and the actor Viggo Mortensen, as well as gestures implying oral sex. The Commission accepted his resignation and closed the case.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 4

    NEW YORK STATE

    COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT


    ROBERT H. TEMBECKJIAN MARISA E. HARRISON
    ADMINISTRATOR & COUNSEL 61 BROADWAY, SUITE 1200 PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICER
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10006

    646-386-4800 646-458-0037
    TELEPHONE FACSIMILE
    www.cjc.ny.gov

    NEWS RELEASE
    December 12, 2018

    Robert H. Tembeckjian, Administrator


    Contacts: Marisa E. Harrison, Public Records Officer
    (518) 453-4614

    Town Court Justice in Jefferson County Resigns


    After Being Charged with Making Homophobic Remarks

    LeRay Town Court Justice John W. Hallett (Jefferson County) has resigned while
    under formal charges by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for
    allegedly making homophobic and inappropriate remarks and gestures to an
    attorney. Judge Hallett, who will resign from office effective December 31, 2018,
    has agreed never to seek or accept judicial office at any time in the future. The
    Commission accepted a stipulation to that effect signed by the judge and the
    Commission’s Administrator and closed its formal proceeding.1

    Judge Hallett was served with a Formal Written Complaint dated August 16, 2018,
    containing one charge alleging that, in January 2017, he made the following
    statements at the Jefferson County Court Complex while conversing with an
    attorney who was promoting a film festival at which the actor Viggo Mortensen
    was the honoree: (1) The film festival was “about the gayest thing I have ever
    heard,” and (2) “You and Viggo Mortensen should get a hotel room and suck each
    other’s dicks.” Five months later, while conversing with the same attorney, the

    1
    The Stipulation was signed on November 26, 2018. The Commission accepted it on December
    6, 2018, and thereafter closed the matter.
    NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT

    December 12, 2018


    Page 2

    judge allegedly (1) made a gesture with his hand to his mouth to connote oral sex
    and (2) thereafter patted the attorney lightly on the cheek and stated, “there, there,
    little boy.”

    Judge Hallett waived the statutory provision of confidentiality applicable to


    Commission proceedings, to the limited extent that the stipulation and
    Commission’s order accepting it and closing the case would be public.

    The stipulation and the Commission’s order closing the case can be found on the
    Commission’s website: www.cjc.ny.gov.

    Statistics Relating to Prior Commission Decisions


    The Commission has accepted 82 such stipulations since the procedure was
    instituted in 2003.

    Since 1978, the Commission has issued 269 determinations of admonition against
    judges in New York State, 323 determinations of censure and 172 determinations
    of removal.

    The Court of Appeals has reviewed 99 Commission determinations. The Court


    accepted the Commission’s sanctions in 83 cases (74 of which were removals, six
    were censures and three were admonitions). Of the remaining 16 cases, two
    sanctions were increased from censure to removal, and 13 were reduced: nine
    removal determinations were modified to censure, one removal was modified to
    admonition, two censures were modified to admonition, and one censure was
    rejected and the charges dismissed. The Court remitted one matter to the
    Commission for further proceedings.

    Statement by Commission Administrator

    Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian made the following statement.

    “Homophobic remarks and anti-LGBTQ sentiments have no place in the lexicon


    of the courts or the vocabulary of a judge. Such statements undermine public
    confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, which demands that a
    judge be and appear fair-minded and unprejudiced toward all who have business in
    the courts.”
    NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT

    December 12, 2018


    Page 3

    Counsel

    In the proceedings before the Commission, Judge Hallett represented himself.

    The Commission was represented by Robert H. Tembeckjian, Administrator and


    Counsel to the Commission; John J. Postel, Deputy Administrator in Charge of the
    Rochester office; and Senior Attorney M. Kathleen Martin. Investigator Betsy
    Sampson assisted in the investigation.

    Background Information on Judge Hallett

    First took office: 2003


    Term Expires: December 31, 2019
    Year admitted to NYS Bar: 1989
    $18,500 (Source: Town of LeRay
    Salary: 2018 Budget)

    Members of the Commission

    The Commission members serve four-year terms. A list of members is appended.

    The Public File

    The stipulation and order are attached. They are also available for inspection
    during regular business hours at the Commission's three offices:

    61 Broadway Corning Tower, Suite 2301 400 Andrews Street


    Suite 1200 Empire State Plaza Suite 700
    New York, New York 10006 Albany, New York 12223 Rochester, New York 14604
    NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT

    December 12, 2018


    Page 4

    MEMBERS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT

    Member Appointing Authority Term End

    Joseph W. Belluck, Esq., Chair Governor Andrew M. Cuomo March 31, 2020

    Paul B. Harding, Esq., Vice Chair Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb March 31, 2021

    Jodie Corngold Governor Andrew M. Cuomo March 31, 2019

    Taa Grays, Esq. Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins March 31, 2020

    Hon. John A. Falk Chief Judge Janet DiFiore March 31, 2021

    Hon. Leslie G. Leach Chief Judge Janet DiFiore March 31, 2020

    Hon. Angela M. Mazzarelli Chief Judge Janet DiFiore March 31, 2022

    Hon. Robert J. Miller Governor Andrew M. Cuomo March 31, 2022

    Marvin Ray Raskin, Esq. Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie March 31, 2022

    Richard A. Stoloff, Esq. Former Senate President Pro Tem Dean Skelos March 31, 2019

    Akosua Garcia Yeboah Governor Andrew M. Cuomo March 31, 2021

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