ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A state oversight commission has determined that an upstate New York judge should loose his job, saying he made sexist remarks and failed to report tens of thousands of dollars on his tax returns.
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct announced its decision Thursday against Family Court Judge Richard Miller in Broome County. Miller’s lawyers say he has appealed the decision to New York’s highest court.
The commission found Miller did not disclose tens of thousands of dollars in income on his state and federal tax returns over several years.
On his 2015 tax returns, for example, Miller left off around $35,000 in income from rental properties and his prior law practice, according to the commission. The judge has filed amended tax returns, according to the commission.
The commission also found that Miller made demeaning remarks to a female court clerk. According to the commission, in one instance, the judge told the woman, who had been widowed: “If I knew you could also cook, I would have gone for the widow.”
Attorneys for Miller said he is disappointed with the commission’s decision and has appealed his case to the state Court of Appeals. That court can amend the decision or throw it out altogether.
In a statement, his lawyers said Miller cooperated with the commission’s investigation, and multiple witness testified that he is a respectful, trustworthy and honest judge.
Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said in a statement that Miller’s behavior and past disciplinary record “undermine public confidence in the courts and compel his removal from office.”
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Ryan Tarinelli is a corps member for Report for America, a nonprofit organization that supports local news coverage in a partnership with The Associated Press for New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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