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MORIAH---Days before a hearing was scheduled to begin regarding charges of judicial misconduct, an Essex County town justice has resigned and agreed that he won't seek or accept judicial office again.
James E. Brooks had been Moriah town justice since 1992. He is not an attorney.
In November, 2004, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct had served Brooks with a formal complaint alleging that he had granted reductions or dismissals without the consent of the district attorney and had engaged in ex parte communications with another judge with respect to an order of protection. It was also alleged that Brooks wrote a letter on court stationery on behalf of a defendant facing charges in another town court.
Additional complaints were filed against Brooks in February and May.
He filed an answer to the charges, denying most of the allegations but on Oct. 3, days before a hearing in the matter was to commence, he submitted his resignation to be effective Dec. 31.
In his resignation letter to Judge Jan H. Plumadore, deputy chief administrative judge who oversees courts outside of New York City, Brooks blamed his "situation" on his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.12-22-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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