On Monday, April 14, 2025, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct announced that Westchester County Court Judge Melissa A. Loehr agreed to be admonished for misconduct related to two traffic cases. The Commission determined the admonishment was warranted following a review of her actions while serving as a judge.
The misconduct involved incidents from 2017 and 2018. In March 2018, while Judge Loehr was a Peekskill City Court judge, she dismissed a traffic ticket issued to the daughter of a fellow judge. She failed to disclose her relationship with the defendant, who was also a friend of her daughter. Judge Loehr acknowledged that she should not have presided over this case due to the conflict of interest.
In a separate incident in January 2017, Judge Loehr contacted the court on behalf of her daughter after she received a traffic ticket in Cortlandt. During this call, she mentioned her position as a judge in Peekskill, which the Commission found inappropriate. Judge Loehr conceded that her reference to her judicial status could be seen as an attempt to obtain special treatment for her daughter.
The Commission’s findings emphasized that Judge Loehr’s actions created an appearance of favoritism and undermined public trust in the judiciary’s integrity. The Commission noted that judges must recuse themselves from cases where their impartiality might be questioned and should refrain from using their judicial title for personal gain.
Judge Loehr has served on the Westchester County Court since 2020, following her tenure as a Peekskill City Court judge from 2017 to 2019. Her current term is set to expire on December 31, 2029.
A copy of the news release can be found here.
