An upstate New York choose has stepped down from his publish after he tried to bypass jury responsibility by admitting he couldn’t stay neutral as a result of he believed all individuals who find yourself in court docket to face fees are responsible.
Richard T. Snyder, a justice of the Petersburgh City Courtroom, complied with a summons for grand jury responsibility in October 2023, in keeping with a information launch from the New York State Fee on Judicial Conduct.
In an effort to be excused, he launched himself as a presiding choose and mentioned that he couldn’t function a juror as a result of he believed that anybody who got here earlier than him in court docket was responsible.
In response to court docket transcripts cited by The Occasions Union, Snyder informed the choose that he couldn’t stay neutral and that “it might not be honest.”
“I do know everyone are available in entrance of me, I do know they’re responsible. They might not be in entrance of me,” Snyder mentioned.
The choose who oversaw the jury choice later reported his statements to the state’s judicial conduct fee in December 2023, and Snyder testified earlier than the board in July 2024.
He repeatedly informed fee members that each one litigants who appeared earlier than him “did one thing flawed.”
He additionally acknowledged, “I do know they’re responsible as a result of they did one thing flawed. That’s how they received a ticket,” and added, “That’s the rationale why they received the ticket to seem in court docket as a result of they did one thing flawed.”
The fee issued Snyder a proper written criticism to Snyder in November 2024 and charged him with misconduct. He handed in his resignation the subsequent month and the fee accepted it on Jan. 30.
“It’s unhealthy sufficient {that a} choose would search to keep away from such a basic civic accountability as jury service. It’s astounding that the choose would declare an lack of ability to be neutral, and to declare below oath that the accused have to be responsible or they’d not be in court docket,” Fee Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian mentioned in a press release. “There is no such thing as a place on the bench for somebody who so deeply misunderstands the function of a choose and the administration of justice.”
Snyder, who will not be an lawyer, was first elected to function Petersburgh city justice in 2014. His present time period would have ended on the finish of this 12 months.
Tembeckjian informed The Occasions Union that Snyder dealt with instances till he formally left workplace however didn’t preside over trials.
“As I perceive it, he primarily dealt with site visitors issues, the place both the defendant pleaded responsible or there was a plea cut price that the court docket accepted,” Tembeckjian mentioned.
Snyder has agreed to not search judicial workplace once more.
Courts in New York don’t permit automated exemptions or disqualifications from jury responsibility for anybody, together with judges.
The city of Petersburgh is nestled close to New York’s border with Vermont and Massachusetts, about 30 miles west of Albany. It has a inhabitants of about 1,400 folks.
