A New York choose took Caribbean holidays with a gaggle of attorneys and engaged in a textual content message chain that includes “off-color jokes” and “sexually graphic photos” with them — serving to gasoline her hasty retirement, courtroom officers mentioned.
Rockland County Supreme Courtroom Justice Sherri Eisenpress agreed to step down on April 28 over a number of alleged conflicts of curiosity, the state Fee of Judicial Conduct mentioned Monday.
The CJC mentioned Eisenpress didn’t disclose her shut private relationships with the group of attorneys, whilst she heard their circumstances in her courtroom, violating legal guidelines that judges have to be neutral.
The half dozen attorneys argued in entrance of Eisenpress between 2019 and 2024 — once they all additionally traveled to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Jersey Shore collectively at varied instances, in line with the fee.
The ladies had been additionally on a textual content chain at varied instances titled “Punta Cana Events,” Bougie B*tches” and “Queen Dara and Her Loyal Topics,” in reference to the courtroom’s principal lawyer, who conducts analysis, evaluation and drafts opinion for judges.
“[Eisenpress] and the members of the group textual content message chain … shared confidences and mentioned and shared social and journey plans and invites, gossip, photographs, off-color jokes, and sexually graphic photos,” the CJC wrote, outlining its misconduct allegations.
Eisenpress, in response to the allegations, argued there have been “only a few jokes or photos that may very well be thought-about, relying on the context, as off coloration.”
She additionally insisted none of these questionable quips had been shared or written by her – and claimed she solely had “pleasant, collegial relationships” or simply “collegial relationships” with the attorneys whose circumstances she heard, in line with authorized docs.
The alleged conflicts didn’t cease there for Eisenpress, who went from household courtroom to state Supreme Courtroom justice throughout her 15 years on the bench.
Eisenpress was accused of presiding over 41 circumstances involving the regulation agency of her principal regulation clerk’s partner, whereas declining to acknowledge the ties or to restrict the highest aide’s work on these circumstances, the fee mentioned.
She additionally dealt with a matrimonial case through which the lawyer for one of many spouses was co-hosting a fundraiser for Eisenpress’ election marketing campaign — and solely recused herself after the opposing counsel known as her out, in line with the fee.
In 2024, Eisenpress allegedly refused to right away recuse herself from a case through which her regulation clerk’s husband represented one of many events, the CJC mentioned. She later stepped apart for unrelated causes.
Fee Administrator Robert Tembeckjian known as the allegations in opposition to Eisenpress “critical” and mentioned “her everlasting departure from workplace is acceptable.”
Eisenpress lauded her time on the bench in her resignation letter to Chief Administrative Choose Joseph Zayas on Jan. 29.
“Throughout my tenure, I used to be aware of the duty that comes with increasing entry to justice and strengthening public belief within the courtroom,” she mentioned.
Eisenpress, in an announcement by way of her lawyer, known as it the “best honor of my skilled life to serve the folks of New York” and mentioned she disagrees “with many features of the Fee’s place on this matter.”
“I’ve however concluded that essentially the most accountable course for my household, was to step apart slightly than topic litigants, myself, the courtroom system, and my colleagues to a chronic and financially draining continuing,” she said, noting she detailed her protection in her response to the fee.
