Filing a Judicial Ethics Complaint

How to File a Complaint Against a Judge

Ethics complaints are investigated and prosecuted by the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct (ACJC) under Court Rule 2:15. All information provided to the ACJC goes through the committee’s staff.

Complaints may be filed in one of two ways:

1. Use this complaint form and include the name of the judge, the conduct about which you are complaining, and any documents you believe support your complaint.
2. Write a letter of complaint to the committee. Include the name of the judge, the conduct about which you are complaining, and any documents you believe support your complaint.

Send the ACJC complaint form or letter to:

Email: AOC-ACJCInfo.MBX@njcourts.gov

All nine members of the committee review each complaint. The committee has two options after reviewing a complaint:

1. Dismissal – If, after reviewing the complaint, the committee finds no wrongdoing by the judge, it will dismiss the complaint and inform the person who filed the complaint, in writing, of the dismissal; or
2. Investigate – If, after reviewing the complaint, the committee believes an investigation is necessary, they will conduct an investigation. The committee will notify the person who filed the complaint of its outcome, in writing, at the conclusion of the case.

Judicial Complaint Review Process

When the ACJC receives a complaint, it reviews the information submitted to make sure that the judge has been accused of something that actually violates the Judicial Code of Conduct, as amended, in part, by the Order – Amendments to Rule 2:15-7 – ACJC – Cooperation by Attorneys and Court Personnel and the Order for Posting - Adopting Amendments to Rule 3.17 (Judicial Disqualification) of the Code of Judicial Conduct. After the review, the committee will either

1. Dismiss the Complaint – If, after reviewing the complaint, the committee finds no wrongdoing by the judge, it will dismiss the complaint and inform the person who filed the complaint, in writing, of the dismissal; or
2. Request an Investigation – If, after reviewing the complaint, the committee believes an investigation is necessary, it will direct staff to investigate the claims of misconduct made in the complaint.

Following an investigation, the committee may:

1. Dismiss the complaint;
2. Privately discipline a judge; or
3. File formal charges against a judge.

Formal Complaints -- If, after reviewing a complaint, the committee believes formal charges should be filed against a judge, it will file a Formal Complaint.

What information is public?

All complaints filed with the ACJC and any action taken by the committee are confidential unless and until the committee files formal charges against a judge.

Formal complaints, answers to formal complaints and all further actions taken by the committee are public.

Once a judge files an answer, a public hearing is scheduled.

Following a hearing, the committee may recommend an outcome to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The New Jersey Supreme Court is the only body that may publicly discipline a judge.

Types of Judicial Discipline

If the ACJC investigates a complaint and believes that the judge has violated the Judicial Code of Conduct, it may choose to discipline the judge privately. The private discipline would be a letter to the judge that says the ACJC has found wrongdoing and is issuing to the judge either:

1. Guidance;
2. Caution;
3. Admonition;
4. Reprimand; or
5. Censure

The ACJC instead might recommend that the Supreme Court issue public discipline against the judge. Only the New Jersey Supreme Court may publicly discipline a judge. The ACJC could recommend:

1. A dismissal of the case with or without private discipline;
2. Public admonition;
3. Public reprimand;
4. Public censure;
5. Suspension; or
6. Begin proceedings to have the judge removed from the bench.

Contact Information

ACJC Contact Information

All information provided to the ACJC goes through the committee's staff.
For more information, please call  609-815-2900 ext. 51910
The fax number for the committee is  Fax: 609-376-3092

Candace Moody
Executive Director/Chief Counsel

Maureen Bauman
Disciplinary Counsel

Daniel Burns
Assistant Counsel

Louis Taranto
Chief Investigator

Members of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct

Chair: Hon. Carmen Messano (Term Expiration: 2027)

Vice Chair: Hon. Georgia Curio (Term Expiration: 2025)

Members of the New Jersey Bar:

• Hon. Hector R. Velazquez (Term Expiration: 2026)
• Hon. Robert T. Zane (Term Expiration: 2026)
• A. Matthew Boxer, Esq. (Term Expiration: 2025)
• Diana C. Manning, Esq. (Term Expiration: 2027)

Lay Members, Not Holding Public Office:

• Karen Kessler (Term Expiration: 2025)
• Paul J. Walker (Term Expiration: 2027)
• Katherine Barrett Carter (Term Expiration: 2025)

All terms above expire on August 31 of year noted.

Frequently Asked Questions