State Republicans have filed an ethics complaint against New York’s Chief Judge Rowan Wilson following remarks he made at a panel discussion hosted by the CUNY School of Law in Queens last February.
Wilson, who has served as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals since 2022 and was noted as the state’s first African-American chief judge, drew criticism for his comments on the Democratic-led Second Look Act. The proposal would allow convicted criminals to request additional sentencing hearings after serving ten years in prison.
During the discussion, Wilson described the initiative as “stupid,” stating: “They hurt somebody maybe very seriously in the past, but they have come to be a very different person. And now we are spending a lot of money to keep them in prison. That’s stupid.” He also referenced a case where a judge referred to a defendant as an “animal” who should be “locked up” for life, calling such language “very distressing.”
Republicans accuse Wilson of violating ethics rules by declaring: “Your political opinion means nothing when you’re in that robe on the bench. Your politics should have nothing to do with the way you render a decision.”
New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo (R), ranking member of the judiciary panel, said Wilson’s remarks “definitely warrant review” and accused him of being “dramatic or hysterical.” A spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration, Al Baker, countered that Wilson’s comments were within his rights, stating it is “appropriate for the Chief Judge to express his views on pending legislation that affects the court system” and to discuss “proper judicial temperament and values.”
Wilson could face removal from the bench by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct or receive a private admonishment.
