New York judge agrees to resign amid misconduct charges citing health

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A New York judge accused of making racist and anti-gay remarks has agreed to step down – saying a shoulder injury has left her unable to fight misconduct allegations, The Post has learned.

Brooklyn Surrogate Court Judge Harriet Thompson – who has been accused of allegedly biased and “inappropriate” comments towards her colleagues – agreed on Friday to retire effective March 1 and never seek a judgeship again , according to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC).

Thompson, who received an annual salary of $210,900, was accused of saying that homosexuality is an “abomination”, claiming that Hispanics have “deceptive traits” and called four other judges “f—- ts homosexual racists” who were “all f-king each other.

The Office of Courts Administration suspended Thompson – a surrogate court judge since 2019 who previously served as a civil court judge – in December 2021 after the inspector general of state courts substantiated allegations of misconduct against him.

Brooklyn Surrogate Court Judge Harriet Thompson has agreed to resign, citing health issues, amid accusations of misconduct. Kings County Surrogate Court

The CJC then charged Thompson in May 2022 in a case alleging bias and inappropriate comments.

The case also included charges of failing to carry out his judicial duties in a timely manner, causing significant delays and not having “completed mandatory campaign ethics training in a timely manner”. , according to CJC documents.

Thompson was supposed to face an official CJC hearing on January 17 – but handed in her resignation letter. She will be able to keep her legal pension.

Thompson has previously been charged with making anti-gay and racist comments. New York Courts

In November, Thompson had sent the commission a letter from a doctor stating that she was “not medically fit to stand trial” due to a disability and would likely have further medical procedures, according to CJC documents.

The commission then filed another lawsuit on December 16 accusing Thompson of being medically unfit for duty.

Thompson’s attorney, Andrew Fisher, told the Post that Thompson has a shoulder injury that requires surgery and, “Due to the pain she is enduring, she is on medication that would interfere with her ability to participate in the defense against the charges that have been brought.”

The attorney argued that had Thompson not been injured, she would have fought the CJC claims.

Thompson’s attorney says she has a shoulder injury that requires further surgery and is taking medication that would have interfered with her defense.

“If Judge Thompson had not developed a crippling illness, she would have vigorously defended herself, but found that was an impossible thing to do at this point,” Fisher said. “It should be noted that no findings of wrongdoing were made against her.”

“She is leaving, hopefully, with her reputation intact,” the lawyer said.

CJC Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said the case against Thompson “was egregious and, if established at trial, would have warranted his removal.”

Thompson was charged with misconduct by the Judicial Conduct Commission in May 2022.YouTube/Brooklyn Borough President

“She now claims that a medical condition prevents her from performing her judicial duties, which opens a different path in the promotion of the public interest for her immediate and permanent departure from the bench,” Tembeckjian said.

Thompson also agreed to drop all litigation against the CJC.

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