New York chief judge acknowledges misstep in urging voters to oust harsh-sentence judges

Rowan Wilson, the chief judge of New York’s highest court, was compelled to admit that his suggestion voters could oust judges who hand down lengthy terms was misplaced. The admission came after Republican legislators lodged an ethics complaint, arguing Wilson breached rules governing judicial political speech. In a letter to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, Wilson said his remarks stemmed from outrage over an unnamed judge calling a defendant an “animal” and that he should have simply urged voters to be informed.

The commission cleared him of wrongdoing regarding his push for the Second Look Act, which would let felons seek a new sentencing hearing after ten years, deeming such advocacy permissible for a chief judge. GOP officials expressed satisfaction that Wilson’s conduct was examined, though some questioned the impartiality of the review. Wilson has held the chief judge position since 2022 and previously authored a controversial opinion granting an elephant at the Bronx Zoo certain legal rights.