A New York state judge, Erin Gall, has been recommended for removal by a judicial watchdog panel after a racially charged rant at a high school graduation party. Gall, a State Supreme Court Justice, invoked her authority to try to get uninvited guests arrested, threatened to shoot Black teenagers, and boasted about her son's involvement in a fight. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct found her actions, captured in multiple police bodycam videos, demonstrated a racial bias, undermining public trust in her integrity.
Gall, a white Republican judge in Oneida County since 2012, attended the party with her family. The event spiraled out of control when uninvited guests, including four Black teenagers, arrived. Arguments and fights ensued, prompting a police response. Bodycam footage revealed Gall's aggressive behavior towards the teenagers, telling them to leave and threatening legal action and violence. Gall's husband and son were also involved in the altercations.
During the investigation, Gall cited a 1990 assault she suffered as a college student as a trigger for her reaction. However, her attorney described her state as one of fear and frustration during the incident. The judicial panel criticized Gall's conduct, stating it severely undermined confidence in her ability to serve impartially. Gall, suspended with pay pending a decision by New York's Court of Appeals, plans to appeal the panel's determination.
In the police footage, Gall alternated between criticizing officers for not making arrests and expressing support for them, further complicating her position. She made several derogatory comments about the Black teenagers and suggested violence if they returned for their keys. The panel's administrator, Robert H. Tembeckjian, described Gall's behavior as among the most shocking he had seen in his 40 years in judicial ethics enforcement.
Link: CBSNews
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