Talk About A Cold Shoulder: Judge Steps Down Amid Health And Ethical Conduct Complications
Yeah, you should get your shoulder checked out. Oh, and stop referring to your co-workers as [redacted]. Does a number on morale.
Harriet Thompson, a former Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court judge, has stepped down due to a shoulder injury. This is a routine reason and probably not that newsworthy. What is newsworthy, however, is that she’s spent the last year or so suspended from her role as a judge because of comments she allegedly made towards her colleagues and co-workers. According to Law.com:
Harriet Thompson was scheduled to appear in a hearing next week before the State Commission on Judicial Ethics on charges that she regularly and openly made disparaging remarks about fellow judges and court employees based on their race, ethnicity, physical appearance or perceived sexual orientation.
Here is one example:
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I understand being concerned that someone who yaps off at the mouth like this might have just a little difficulty being impartial in their day-to-day rulings. As she was elected to a 14-year position, the timing of her resignation leaves about 10 years’ worth of work on the table. As unfortunate as it may be to find her replacement, I have the suspicion that things will run a little smoother after the initial growing pains. Just imagine 10 more years of this.
Thompson was elected in 2018 to a 14-year term as one of the two judges who preside in Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court. Within months after taking office, Thompson became engaged in a feud with Richard Buckheit, the public administrator assigned to the court, that quickly spilled into public view.
In May 2019, Thompson complained to court administrators about Buckheit’s management style, alleging that he discriminated against Black employees. An investigation by the court system’s inspector general found that her allegations were unsubstantiated, according to court filings.
New York has enough drama without judicial infighting. While the case concerning her alleged inappropriate conduct is ongoing, she will officially be stepping down by March 1st of this year.
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Suspended Brooklyn Judge Under Investigation for Bias Allegations to Step Down From the Bench [Law.com]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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