Barrington Town Court Justice Rennee N. Crofoot has resigned while under investigation by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for allegedly interjecting herself in a custody proceeding pending before another judge, according to officials with New York State.
Judge Crofoot resigned from office effective October 3rd and agreed never to seek or accept judicial office at any time in the future. The Commission accepted a stipulation to that effect signed by the judge and the Commission’s Administrator and closed its investigation.
In September the Commission apprised Judge Crofoot that it was investigating a complaint alleging that she sent in an email to the court in a pending custody proceeding, criticizing one of the parties, identifying herself as a judge and lending the prestige of judicial office to advance a private interest.
Judge Crofoot, who is not an attorney, had served as a Justice of the Barrington Town Court since 2014. Her current term would have expired on December 31, 2021.
The Commission has accepted 80 such stipulations since the procedure was instituted in 2003.
STATEMENT BY COMMISSION ADMINISTRATOR ROBERT H. TEMBECKJIAN
“A judge must scrupulously avoid tipping the scales in a case pending before another judge by interjecting views promoting one party, criticizing another or otherwise trying to influence the outcome.”
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