State Commission Recommends Mount Vernon Judge Be Censured

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon City Judge William Edwards should be censured, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has announced.

In a determination dated Dec. 20, 2019, and made public Friday, the Commission found that Judge Edwards should be censured for appearing as his daughter’s attorney on three occasions in an upstate New York court and for repeatedly and gratuitously identifying himself as a judge during the proceedings.

“It is bad enough for a full-time judge to practice law, even on behalf of a family member," said Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian. "Repeatedly mentioning one’s own judicial status during the proceedings compounds the original misconduct and comes across as an obvious attempt to influence the trial judge. Here, Judge Edwards has admitted wrongdoing, and the Commission believes he deserves another chance."

Judge Edwards has served as a Judge of the Mount Vernon City Court since 2003. His current term expires at the end of 2023.

Full-time judges are prohibited from practicing law by the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct.

Nevertheless, between November 2015 and April 2016, Judge Edwards appeared and acted as his daughter’s attorney in an upstate Family Court matter. During two of his three appearances, Judge Edwards repeatedly made comments to the presiding judge identifying himself as a judge. In May 2016, after Judge Edwards was informed by his Supervising Judge that as a full-time judge he could not practice law, he immediately retained an attorney for his daughter.

Judge Edwards was served with a Formal Written Complaint in June 2018 and filed an answer in August 2018. He stipulated the facts and waived further submissions in September 2019.

The Commission said that Judge Edwards’s conduct “comes close to warranting removal,” but censure was appropriate because he has “admitted that his conduct warrants public discipline” and because the Commission believes he will strictly abide by all the rules from now on.

A judge may either accept the Commission's determination or, within 30 days from receipt, make a written request to the Chief Judge for a review of the determination by the Court of Appeals.

If Judge Edwards does not request review by the Court of Appeals, the Commission will censure him in accordance with the determination.

If a Commission determination is reviewed by the Court of Appeals, the Court may accept the determined sanction, impose a different sanction including admonition, censure or removal, or impose no sanction.

Copies of the Commission’s determination and accompanying press release, as well as the Agreed Statement of Facts between Judge Edwards and Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian, are also available on the Commission’s website: www.cjc.ny.gov.