New York's Chief Judge Urged Voters to Oust Tough-on-Crime Judges

Republicans file ethics complaint against Chief Judge Rowan Wilson for comments about sentencing and judicial elections

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:04am

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State Republicans have filed an ethics complaint against New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, accusing him of violating judicial conduct rules after he urged a public audience to identify judges who hand down lengthy prison sentences and vote them out of office. Wilson made the comments at a panel discussion, telling the audience they could "find out who those people are" and "when those judges come up to be elected, don't vote for them and get other people not to vote for them."

Why it matters

The complaint raises questions about the role of the chief judge and whether he should be using his position to influence judicial elections and sentencing policies. Critics argue Wilson's comments undermine the impartiality of the judiciary and politicize the judicial process.

The details

In the complaint, state Sen. Anthony Palumbo, the ranking Republican on the chamber's judiciary panel, said Wilson's remarks show that "your political opinion means nothing when you're in that robe on the bench" and that "your politics should have nothing to do with the way you render a decision." Assemblyman Michael Tannousis accused Wilson of "trying to influence elections," arguing the chief judge should not be "pushing for and trying to influence elections" by telling people to vote out certain judges.

  • Wilson made the comments at a panel discussion hosted by the CUNY School of Law in Queens in late February 2026.
  • The ethics complaint was filed with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct on Wednesday, March 13, 2026.

The players

Rowan Wilson

The chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

Anthony Palumbo

The ranking Republican on the New York State Senate's judiciary panel.

Michael Tannousis

A New York State Assemblyman who accused Wilson of trying to influence judicial elections.

Kathy Hochul

The Democratic governor of New York who appointed four members to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Harvey Weinstein

The disgraced movie mogul whose sex crimes conviction was overturned by the court under Wilson's watch.

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What they’re saying

“Your political opinion means nothing when you're in that robe on the bench. Your politics should have nothing to do with the way you render a decision.”

— Anthony Palumbo, Ranking Republican on the New York State Senate's judiciary panel

“The chief judge of New York State needs to stop pushing for and trying to influence elections, because he's telling people to vote certain judges out and we would like him to stop influencing, trying to push legislation that is not directly linked to [the Office of Court Administration] in their operations.”

— Michael Tannousis, New York State Assemblyman

What’s next

The ethics complaint against Chief Judge Wilson now sits with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which has the power to privately admonish a judge or remove them from the bench.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tension between judicial independence and political influence, as the chief judge of New York's highest court has been accused of using his position to sway judicial elections and sentencing policies in a way that critics say undermines the impartiality of the judiciary.