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LawCrossing Legal Daily News Feature
Judge Training Other Judges Removed for Ticket -Fixing On Thursday, Diane Schilling resigned from her position as director of the Office of Justice Court Support, where she was in charge of mandatory training programs for local judges. Diane has admitted to fixing speeding tickets, and we just hope it was not something she taught her students. Diane, who before Thursday, was in charge of training New York’s town and village justices resigned after the Judicial Conduct Commission recommended her removal.
05/11/12
disregard for her ethical responsibilities and for the legal process she was sworn to uphold.”
The Judicial Conduct Commission released its determination on the case on Thursday and stated that
“As a former attorney and as an experienced judge,
in 2009, Diane caused the disappearance of a speeding
there can be no question that (Diane) was familiar with
ticket issued to the wife of Judge Paul Toomey. At the
the process surrounding the issuance and prosecution
time, Diane was working under Toomey, who was the
of traffic tickets,” reads the determination. Diane
then director of Justice Court Support. However, in
Schilling can move for appeal within early June, failing
case you are wondering who taught the tricks to Diane,
which the decision would become effective and she
Toomey has been found innocent. In fact, it was also
would be removed from the bench.
revealed that in 2005, Diane allowed a state trooper to void a speeding ticket issued to her, when he learned
In 1985, the Court of Appeals had held in the Matter of
that she was a judge.
Reedy that ticket fixing done by judges “is misconduct of such gravity as to warrant removal.” However, the
Diane admitted during the proceedings that she had
practice remains widespread, and as an investigation
contacted Toomey in an improper fashion and that also
by the commission found in the 1970’s, at least 140
she had accepted the trooper’s offer to void her own
judges needed to be disciplined for violations of their
speeding ticket.
responsibilities in matter of fixing tickets.
The commission held “Ticket fixing strikes at the heart
Well, if those who are training local judges are
of our system of justice, which is based on equal
themselves into fixing tickets, it’s no surprise that the
treatment for all … (Diane’s) actions showed a complete
practice has become widespread in the judiciary.
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