Judicial Conduct, Commission on

Mission

The State Constitution established the Commission on Judicial Conduct to evaluate and investigate complaints of misconduct against State judges and local justices. The Commission has disciplinary powers and may render determinations to admonish, censure or remove judges and justices from office for misconduct, or to retire judges for disability, subject to review by the Court of Appeals pursuant to Article 6, Section 22, of the Constitution.

Organization and Staffing

There are 11 members of the Commission, who serve part-time and without compensation. Each serves a renewable four-year term and is appointed by the Governor, the Chief Judge and the Legislature.

The Commission elects a Chair and a Vice Chair from among its members for renewable two-year terms. The Commission appoints an Administrator, who in turn appoints and directs Agency staff. The Commission also designates a Clerk to assist the Commission in its consideration of formal disciplinary charges, adjudication of such charges and preparation of determinations and related matters.

The Commission’s principal office is in New York City with satellite offices in Albany and Rochester. Each office is responsible for investigating complaints that concern judges in their respective regions of the state.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2019 Executive Budget recommends a $5.7 million General Fund appropriation. This reflects a $112,000 increase from the previous fiscal year attributable to an increase in lease costs. A workforce of 50 FTEs for the Commission remains unchanged from the previous fiscal year.

Program Highlights

The Commission's core constitutional mission is to enforce ethics standards for approximately 3,500 judges and justices of the New York State Unified Court System, and to impose discipline on those judges or justices who materially violate those standards. The Commission does so by evaluating and taking appropriate action on the roughly 1,900 complaints it receives every year. All agency staff – lawyers, investigators and administrative personnel – are deployed to fulfill the Agency’s core mission: examine, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate complaints that judges have engaged in misconduct. Ancillary activities, such as participating in judicial or legal education and training seminars, are also in furtherance of the agency’s efforts to enforce judicial ethics.

ALL FUNDS
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Category	Available FY 2018	Appropriations Recommended FY 2019	Change From FY 2018	Reappropriations Recommended FY 2019
State Operations	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000	0
Total	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000	0

ALL FUND TYPES
PROJECTED LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT BY PROGRAM
FILLED ANNUAL SALARIED POSITIONS
Program	FY 2018 Estimated FTEs 03/31/18	FY 2019 Estimated FTEs 03/31/19	FTE Change
Judicial Conduct
General Fund	50	50	0
Total	50	50	0

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type	Available FY 2018	Recommended FY 2019	Change
General Fund	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000
Total	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program	Available FY 2018	Recommended FY 2019	Change
Judicial Conduct
General Fund	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000
Total	5,584,000	5,696,000	112,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2019 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried)
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Judicial Conduct	4,312,000	19,000	4,275,000	18,000
Total	4,312,000	19,000	4,275,000	18,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2019 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried)		Holiday/Overtime Pay
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Judicial Conduct	37,000	1,000	0	0
Total	37,000	1,000	0	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2019 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Supplies and Materials
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Judicial Conduct	1,384,000	93,000	43,000	0
Total	1,384,000	93,000	43,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2019 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Travel		Contractual Services
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Judicial Conduct	100,000	0	1,215,000	93,000
Total	100,000	0	1,215,000	93,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2019 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Equipment
Program	Amount	Change
Judicial Conduct	26,000	0
Total	26,000	0

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/16/2018

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