Opinion ID: 1972014
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Stockton State College Matter

Text: Another matter of asserted misconduct by respondent entails a personal family matter and the claimed misuse of his judicial office concerning this family interest. This arises out of an incident involving respondent's daughter, Cynthia Yaccarino, who was a student at Stockton State College during 1981. We find from our independent review of the record these facts to have been established beyond doubt. On March 6, 1981, Sergeant John Niewender, of the Stockton State College Police Department, found a dog belonging to respondent's daughter walking unleashed near the College bookstore. Sergeant Niewender had warned Cynthia on prior occasions that the dog required a municipal license and that she could not leave it unattended on the college campus. Sergeant Niewender put a rope on the dog and began to walk back to his car with it, intending to impound the dog. Cynthia came out of the bookstore and became irate at the officer and began yelling at him. Sergeant Niewender informed her that he was impounding the dog for lack of a license. Cynthia then screamed at and physically attacked the officer, striking and kicking at him and pulling his clothing while he attempted to place the dog inside his car. Her physical assault and interferences continued despite warnings from the officer, who finally placed her under arrest. He later charged her with simple assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1a, obstructing a governmental function, N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1, and harassment, N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4. Cynthia was kept at the police station for an hour while the arrest papers were prepared; she then left and obtained a dog license, and retrieved the dog. Cynthia did not tell her parents of the incident until ten days later. She showed her mother an article concerning the incident contained in a school newspaper. Mrs. Yaccarino in turn showed it to respondent on the evening of March 16, 1981. Respondent immediately called the Stockton State College Police and spoke with Detective Sergeant Lentz. Respondent identified himself as a Superior Court Judge and demanded to know the statute that authorized the detention of the dog. He also told Lentz that he was a holder of silver and gold P.B.A. cards and had helped write the rules and laws governing campus police. Finally, respondent asked that the Chief of the Campus Police call him, and Lentz said he would have him call the next day. Respondent then called Frank Muzzi, Chief of the Monmouth College Campus Police Department and a longtime friend. Muzzi said he knew the Chief of the Stockton State Campus Police and that he would call him and ask him to contact respondent. Muzzi then called the Stockton State College Campus Police Station. After receiving this call, Sergeant Lentz called Chief Long of the Stockton State Campus Police, who then called Muzzi. Chief Long agreed to call respondent the next day. Muzzi then called respondent and confirmed that Chief Long would call the next day. Nevertheless, that evening respondent called Monmouth County Prosecutor Alexander D. Lehrer, but did not reach him. Later that evening the prosecutor returned respondent's call, and respondent asked him to contact Richard J. Williams, Atlantic County Prosecutor, to have Williams investigate Cynthia Yaccarino's arrest. Lehrer did speak with Williams the next day and told Williams of respondent's allegations of police misconduct. The next day, March 17, 1981, Frank Licitra, Chief of Detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, returned respondent's call of the night before. Licitra agreed to call Chief Long to find out what had happened. Licitra did call Long and asked him to call respondent. Licitra then confirmed to respondent that Long would call. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on the same day, Chief Long called respondent at his chambers in Freehold. Respondent was on the bench but later returned the call. Respondent identified himself as a Superior Court Judge. Respondent said that Sergeant Niewender, the arresting officer, had acted improperly and should be disciplined by firing the big cop. Respondent then finished by warning that if Long did not take action against Niewender by 9:00 a.m. the next day, March 18, 1981, respondent would turn the matter over to his legal counsel and sue Long, Niewender and Stockton State College for violation of his daughter's civil rights. Niewender was not fired and, on March 18, 1981, Cynthia Yaccarino filed two complaints against Niewender in Galloway Township Municipal Court. Respondent also called Donald Phillips, the Galloway Township prosecuting attorney on several occasions. On March 16 and May 27, 1981, the charges against Cynthia Yaccarino were heard in Galloway Township Municipal Court. The Municipal Court Judge dismissed the charges. We find from this evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that respondent's conduct engendered an undeniable appearance of impropriety. This was occasioned by respondent's numerous personal contacts with law enforcement officials, his use of intermediaries to contact law enforcement officials, and his repeated references to his official position. We fully appreciate that it was respondent's daughter who had been subjected to what he perceived to be a personal affront to her and exposure to personal indignity, particularly in the way that she was arrested and physically confined to a chair in the stationhouse. We reflect upon this with considerable understanding; this occurrence would anger and upset any parent. Judges are subject to the same human emotions as other parents and are entitled, as parents, to respond to a felt unjust abuse of their children. But judges must always be conscious that they not blur the line between parent and judge. Based upon our independent assessment of the record, the evidence demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that respondent used the power, authority, and prestige of his office as a Judge of the Superior Court to advance the private interests of his daughter with respect to the charges pending against her in the Municipal Court of Galloway Township. Respondent used his judicial position in an attempt to influence other public officials in the performance of their lawful duties and to interfere with the orderly administration of justice. We further find beyond a reasonable doubt that this conduct constitutes a misuse of judicial office, which reflects adversely upon the office of a judge and the administration of justice and brings the judiciary into public disrepute. We therefore conclude that respondent violated Canons 1 and 2 of the Code of Judicial Conduct.