On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct announced that Michael H. Plass, a Justice of the Hyde Park Town Court in Dutchess County, should be admonished for distributing an inappropriate campaign mailer during his 2023 campaign for the same position.
The Commission’s determination stems from a mailer distributed by Plass in October 2023, while he was campaigning for Hyde Park Town Justice. The mailer contained pledges that suggested a bias in favor of law enforcement, promising specific actions regarding drug dealers, domestic violence offenders, and repeat offenders.
Upon realizing that such pledges were prohibited under judicial ethics rules, Judge Plass promptly issued a revised mailer that adhered to the regulations. He also sought guidance from the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. The Committee advised that he must disqualify himself from all criminal cases, cases involving allegations of domestic violence, Vehicle and Traffic Law matters, and cases involving purported drug dealers for the duration of his judicial term.
The Commission found that Judge Plass acknowledged the impropriety of his initial campaign mailer. They determined that an admonition was the appropriate disciplinary measure, taking into account his contrition, the isolated nature of the incident, and his immediate remedial actions. The Commission also acknowledged that his broad disqualification placed an undue burden on his co-judge.
The Commission has since determined that Judge Plass may now preside over the full range of cases in Hyde Park Town Court, only needing to disqualify himself where appropriate in individual cases.
Robert H. Tembeckjian, Administrator of the Commission, emphasized that judicial campaign literature must avoid any appearance of bias or favoritism and refrain from making pledges about how a judge will rule on future cases. He stated that the public admonition of Judge Plass for this isolated incident allows him to resume handling his fair share of the court’s caseload.
Judge Plass has served as a Justice of the Hyde Park Town Court since January 1, 2024, and his current term is set to expire on December 31, 2027.
A copy of the news release can be found here.
