On Monday, April 10, 2023, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct determined that Jeremy L. Persons, a Justice of the Guilford Town Court, Chenango County, should be removed from office for making inappropriate sexual comments in court and in chambers, and for engaging in numerous other acts of misconduct.
According to the news release issued by the Commission, Judge Persons did not file an answer to the formal written complaint as well as to the Administrator’s motion for summary determination dated November 4, 2022, resulting in the factual allegations of the complaint being sustained and Person’s misconduct being established.
Judge Persons was found to have made sexually charged comments to and about attorneys appearing in his court, displayed bumper stickers on his car that read “Boobies Make Me Smile,” failed to respond, and appear in traffic resulting in two suspensions of his driver’s license. He was further found to have failed to file the required monthly reports, failed to cooperate with the Office of Court Administration audit of his court records, and failed to cooperate during the investigation and proceedings of the matter.
Robert H. Tembeckjian, the administrator of the Commission stated that Judge Persons remarkable array of misconduct including offensive sexual comments in court, the gratuitous displays of a firearm, his failure to account for court funds, the disregard of his own traffic tickets, and his failure to cooperate with investigating entities–demonstrated his unfitness for judicial office.
The Commission’s determination was transmitted to the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals. Judge Persons was properly served a copy of the determination.
Judge Person may either accept the Commission’s determination or, within 30 days from receipt, make a written request to the Chief Judge for a review of the determination by the Court of Appeals, and in the event that Judge Persons does not request a review by the Court of Appeals, the Court of Appeals will remove him in accordance with the determination.
Judge Persons, who is not an attorney, has served as a Justice of the Guilford Town Court since 2020. His current term expires on December 31, 2023.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
