Staff Report / December 30, 2025
A Jerusalem Town Court judge has resigned from office following a state investigation that found credible allegations of bias, improper courtroom behavior, and insufficient legal knowledge.
Todd C. Whitford stepped down earlier this month after the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct brought formal charges against him. As part of a stipulation agreement, Whitford agreed to immediately leave his judicial post and permanently forgo holding any judicial office in the future, the commission announced.
The commission filed four counts of judicial misconduct against Whitford in September, citing incidents that occurred during court proceedings between 2021 and 2022. Investigators said Whitford displayed inappropriate conduct during multiple hearings, including making demeaning comments toward an alleged domestic violence victim, showing bias against women, mishandling evidence, and demonstrating a misunderstanding of orders of protection. Additional allegations included expressing hostility toward law enforcement and using inappropriate language from the bench during a sentencing in a serious traffic case.
Other findings detailed instances in which Whitford allegedly mocked a prosecutor during a suppression hearing, attempted to pressure the attorney into serving as a witness, and made disparaging remarks about the lawyer’s professional abilities. In a separate case, investigators said Whitford openly criticized a state law mandating jail time for repeat misdemeanor DWI offenses, calling the statute “disgusting” and expressing regret that a defendant would be sentenced to jail.
Whitford, who is not an attorney, had served as a Jerusalem Town Court justice since 2018, with his term scheduled to run through the end of 2026. He signed the resignation agreement on Dec. 5, which took effect Dec. 10, and the commission approved the stipulation the following day.
“A judge is required to maintain professional competence in the law, and to act in a fair, unbiased and respectful manner toward all who appear in court,” said Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian, who described Whitford’s resignation as an appropriate resolution to the case.
According to the commission, permanent resignation agreements are a common method for resolving disciplinary matters, with 159 such stipulations accepted statewide since 2003.
