Howard Riley
Howard Riley was a justice for the Harrietstown Town Court in Franklin County, New York. He began serving on the court in 2008[1] and was re-elected to a second term on November 8, 2011.[2][3] Riley retired from the bench on August 1, 2013, pursuant to an agreement with the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Misconduct allegations
Town justice resigns amid allegations of misconduct (2013)
Riley resigned from his position as town justice for the Harrietstown Town Court, and he agreed to never again accept an appointment to, or run for, judicial office in the state of New York. His last day on the bench was August 1, 2013.[4]
The misconduct allegations originated from complaints regarding Riley’s behavior during courtroom proceedings between January 2010 and December 2011. Due to the settlement agreement, the commission's actual complaint remains confidential. However, in a press release, the commission notes: Riley “engaged in inappropriate conversations with unrepresented defendants at their arraignments, allowing them to make potentially incriminating statements.”[1] He also allegedly reduced charges against defendants without consulting the district attorney, and in some cases seemed to force defendants into entering guilty pleas.[4]
Riley denied the allegations. In an email to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Riley stated he made the decision to retire over a year before. He found the commission's formal complaint which described his alleged misconduct to be ". . .so misleading, it’s like comparing lighting one firecracker to a Fourth of July celebration. . ." Riley stressed that he always treated all parties in his courtroom with fairness and justice.[1]
2011 election
- Main page: New York judicial elections, 2011
Riley was re-elected to a four-year term as Town Justice on November 8th, 2011. He ran as a Democrat and received 36.1% of the vote in the race for two seats. Republican Kenneth McLaughlin won the other contested seat and defeated Edward Goetz.[5][2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Adirondack Daily Enterprise, "State charged Harrietstown judge with misconduct," August 15, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Franklin County - Unofficial 2011 General Election Results Scroll to "Harrietstown"
- ↑ Judicial selection in New York
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 State of New York Commission on Judicial Conduct, "Stipulation," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ Press Republican, "Race to November begins". September 30, 2011 (dead link)
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York
State courts:
New York Court of Appeals • New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division • New York Supreme Court • New York County Courts • New York City Courts • New York Town and Village Courts • New York Family Courts • New York Surrogates' Courts • New York City Civil Court • New York City Criminal Courts • New York Court of Claims • New York Problem Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in New York • New York judicial elections • Judicial selection in New York
