In In re. Pitts-Davis, (NY Comm. Jud. Conduct, March 16, 2026), the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct censured a Syracuse City Court judge for her refusal to officiate at a same-sex wedding. According to the Opinion:
Charge I, filed subsequent to a thorough investigation by the Commission, alleged that in November 2024, respondent created the appearance of impropriety and bias against same-sex couples in that on the day before it was scheduled to occur, she asked court staff to reschedule the marriage of a same-sex couple to a different day so that she would not have to officiate, notwithstanding that she officiated the marriage of an opposite-sex couple scheduled for the same day.
The 18-page opinion describes the complicated factual situation in the case. It said in part:
Respondent engaged in serious misconduct and severely undermined public confidence in her impartiality. However, we find on the specific facts here, that respondent’s conduct, which was influenced by being informed that day that one of her brothers was near death and was also occasioned by her “profound reevaluation” of her sincerely held religious beliefs, does not warrant removal. We note that respondent’s misconduct involved one incident – albeit a very serious one – over the course of two days and that respondent attempted to obtain an opinion from the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics.
Syracuse.com reports on the decision.
