Bergen County NJ judge suspended for three months over TikTok videos

The New Jersey Supreme Court has suspended a Bergen County judge for three months without pay after he was accused of committing three violations of judicial conduct by posting “inappropriate” TikTok videos of himself over a two-year period.

The court determined that the suspension would last from October 8, 2024 to January 8, 2025.

The Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct filed a complaint against Judge Gary N. Wilcox on June 30, 2023, accusing Wilcox of posting 40 videos lip-syncing vulgar song lyrics and wearing questionable clothing between March 2021 and April 2023, according to judicial documents .

The complaint stated that 11 videos posted to his TikTok account, under the alias “Sal Tortorella,” were deemed inappropriate because they showed the Bergen County judge lip-synching songs with references to violence, sex, misogyny and racist terms, or that showed Wilcox in his judicial robes and/or partially clothed while in bed.

Robert Hille, Wilcox’s attorney, said, “Because the court has now spoken, we defer to the court,” when asked to comment on the case.

Some of the songs mentioned in the complaint included Rihanna’s “Jump,” Miguel’s “Sure Thing” and Busta Rhymes’ “Touch It.” At least one video was recorded in Wilcox’s rooms, the complaint said.

Wilcox filed a response to the formal complaint on August 18, 2023, when he said: “Respondent admits to using the platform, but does not consider himself an expert in using it and in customizing an account.” The document stated that Wilcox “never intended the post to be seen by the general public,” and he later changed the setting on his account to “friends only” or “followers only.”

In response, the judge said the videos were recorded on his personal phone, on personal time, and were intended for his personal use. The account has been deactivated and Wilcox said in his response that he has no plans to renew the activity.

The violations listed in the Code of Judicial Conduct were:

Canon 1, Rule 1.1, which requires judges to observe high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary can be maintained.
Canon 2, Rule 2.1, requires judges to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety and at all times to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
Canon 5, Rule 5. l(A), which requires judges to conduct their extrajudicial activities in a manner that does not raise reasonable doubt as to the judge’s ability to act impartially as a judge, demean the judicial office or to hinder the proper exercise of judicial duties.

Bergen County NJ judge suspended for three months over TikTok videos

By Sheisoe

You Missed

How to deal with inappropriate behavior in the workplace

Welttierschutztag in Tom-Tatze-Tierheim: Gassigehen as a social walk – Leimen-Lokal

3 Body problem: not chaotic? – Astrophysicist finds “Inseln der Ordnung” in a chaotic problem

When August can’t last any longer

Bergen County NJ judge suspended for three months over TikTok videos

By Sheisoe

Related Post

How to deal with inappropriate behavior in the workplace

Welttierschutztag in Tom-Tatze-Tierheim: Gassigehen as a social walk – Leimen-Lokal

3 Body problem: not chaotic? – Astrophysicist finds “Inseln der Ordnung” in a chaotic problem

You Missed

How to deal with inappropriate behavior in the workplace

Welttierschutztag in Tom-Tatze-Tierheim: Gassigehen as a social walk – Leimen-Lokal

3 Body problem: not chaotic? – Astrophysicist finds “Inseln der Ordnung” in a chaotic problem

When August can’t last any longer