Judge removed from bench amid charges of lying, assisting landlords on evictions
A judge in upstate New York has been removed from the bench amid various charges of judicial misconduct. (Image from Shutterstock)
An upstate New York judge has been removed from the bench after a state investigation found that he advised landlords on an illegal eviction, secretly contacted a crime victim and lied under oath.
According to a Syracuse.com, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct filed four charges in August 2025 against former Smithville Town Justice Jordon R. Lilley in Chenango County, New York.
The investigation found that Lilley gave legal advice to landlords outside court about how to remove tenants from a mobile home, according to the commission. In a separate criminal case, the investigation also found that Lilley communicated with a crime victim through phone calls and emails while the case was still pending.
The report said while Lilley was directed to preserve records, he deleted more than 500 emails, which were later recovered. The charges concluded that he violated core standards of judicial fairness and impartiality, and he was subsequently recently removed from the bench.
Syracuse.com reports that Lilley, who had been a judge since 2013, retired in November 2025 before the decision was finalized, according to the commission’s decision.
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