On Monday, November 3, 2025, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct announced the resignation of Ian E. Penders, a Town Justice in Clarkson, Monroe County. Penders resigned amidst an investigation into allegations that he invoked his judicial office to evade traffic tickets.
The Commission’s investigation, which began in August 2025, stemmed from a complaint alleging that Penders, during two separate traffic stops in June 2025, used his position as a judge to avoid receiving tickets for the unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, including a misdemeanor charge. The Commission informed Judge Penders of the investigation in September 2025.
Penders agreed to resign from his position on October 30, 2025, and further stipulated that he would never seek or accept judicial office in the future. The Commission accepted this agreement, which was formalized in a signed stipulation between Penders and the Commission’s Administrator.
According to the document, on August 15, 2025, Judge Penders pleaded guilty to the unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a violation, in satisfaction of all charges. He paid a fine and surcharge totaling $100.
Judge Penders waived his right to confidentiality regarding the Commission’s proceedings, allowing the stipulation and the Commission’s order accepting it to be made public.
According to the Commission Administrator, “judges are obliged to respect and comply with the laws they are responsible for upholding. They must also refrain from invoking the prestige of judicial office to evade the consequences of an arrest. The Commission takes such matters seriously, and the resignation of Judge Penders is an appropriate resolution.”
Penders, an attorney, had served as a Justice of the Clarkson Town Court since 2017. His current term would have expired on December 31, 2025.
A copy of the press release can be found here.
