On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Asbury Park Press reported that Judge Robert M. LePore, a municipal judge in Point Pleasant Beach, is facing disciplinary action following admissions of wrongdoing related to his Facebook activity. The New Jersey Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct has charged LePore with violating the state’s code of judicial conduct through his posts that expressed support for law enforcement and political candidates.
During a hearing held on December 18, 2023, disciplinary counsel Maureen Bauman recommended that Judge LePore be suspended for 30 days and required to undergo additional training. LePore, who is 72 years old, expressed regret over the situation, acknowledging the inappropriate nature of his actions. “Shedding this unfortunate spotlight on the judiciary is sickening to me,” he stated to the committee. “What I did was improper. I should be disciplined for it.”
The committee’s complaint alleges that LePore’s Facebook activity demonstrated bias, particularly through his affiliations with law enforcement organizations and negative comments about Democratic viewpoints. Bauman noted that LePore liked and followed various law enforcement groups, including the Brick Police Athletic League and the New Jersey State Police. This connection raised concerns about his ability to remain impartial in his judicial duties.
The complaint originated after a litigant who appeared before LePore discovered his Facebook activity and raised concerns about potential bias. This litigant had been accused of derogatory remarks toward law enforcement, leading to the complaint against the judge. Further scrutiny revealed additional posts that raised ethical questions, including criticism of a 2017 bail reform initiative and support for political candidates.
Bauman emphasized that judges are prohibited from engaging in political activities, stating, “When respondent liked a political campaign advertisement, he crossed the ethical line as to judges’ involvement in political activity.” LePore defended himself by claiming that some of the contentious posts were made prior to his current tenure as a judge and that he primarily engaged in reposting and liking content rather than creating original posts.
LePore served as a municipal judge from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, and was reappointed on August 1, 2020. He admitted that it did not occur to him to remove any potentially biased content from his Facebook page before taking office again. He attributed some of his Facebook activity to a familial connection, stating that his son is a detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, which influenced his support for law enforcement.
The judge acknowledged his limited understanding of technology and the challenges he faced in attempting to delete the objectionable content. After being advised by the advisory committee to remove the problematic posts, he spent hours trying to delete them but realized he had not fully removed his affiliations with certain groups. LePore later sought assistance from his daughter, who pointed out that some of the problematic content remained visible.
In his defense, LePore insisted that he did not intentionally misrepresent his actions when he claimed to have removed the objectionable material. He expressed deep concern over the allegations, stating, “For it to be alleged that I intentionally made a misrepresentation cuts me to the core.”
As the case unfolds, both Bauman and LePore’s attorney, Robert Ramsey, have been instructed to submit briefs to the committee, which will make recommendations regarding potential disciplinary action to the state Supreme Court. The court possesses the ultimate authority to impose penalties, which could range from a formal admonition to removal from the bench.
Source: Asbury Park Press
