The Daily Populous Thursday February 6th, 2025 night edition
Authored by ksl.com and submitted by PushTheTrigger

ALBANY, N.Y. — An upstate New York judge has resigned after he got out of jury duty by claiming that he couldn't be impartial — because he thought everyone brought before a court was guilty.

Richard T. Snyder, who had been a justice of the Petersburgh Town Court for about a decade, left his post after being charged with misconduct by a state judicial commission, officials said Tuesday.

According to court transcripts, Snyder tried to avoid serving on a jury in 2023 by first identifying himself as a judge and then saying, "I know everybody comes in front of me. I know they are guilty. They would not be in front of me."

He was eventually dismissed from serving on the jury after he continued to argue that he could not be impartial, saying "No. It would not be fair," court transcripts from a special grand jury empanelment in Rensselaer County show.

The judge who was overseeing the jury selection reported Snyder to state officials.

At a judicial commission hearing the following year, Snyder said he understood that defendants are supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty but that he still felt that people wouldn't be in court if they didn't commit crimes.

"I meant, that they were guilty because they did something wrong. But they're not guilty 'til they come to court. They're innocent 'til proven guilty," he told the commission.

"They did something wrong. That's why they got a ticket. But they're not guilty," he added.

Snyder, who was elected as a justice, is not an attorney and has agreed to never serve as a judge again.

Public records did not list a phone number for Snyder. Voicemails left with the Petersburgh Town Court were not immediately returned.

Petersburgh is a small town outside Albany near New York's border with Vermont and Massachusetts. It has a population of about 1,400 people, according to census data.

In a statement, Robert H. Tembeckjian, administrator of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, said "There is no place on the bench for someone who so deeply misunderstands the role of a judge and the administration of justice."

"It is bad enough that a judge would seek to avoid such a fundamental civic responsibility as jury service. It is astounding that the judge would claim an inability to be impartial, and to declare under oath that the accused must be guilty or they would not be in court," he said.

Courts in New York do not offer automatic jury duty exemptions to anyone, including judges.

theartfulcodger on February 5th, 2025 at 19:56 UTC »

Petersburgh Township should prepare for an avalanche of suits from every single person this fuckhead found guilty since he took his oath.

Oknight on February 5th, 2025 at 18:31 UTC »

"Is he qualified to be a high court judge?"

"He is a violent, bigoted, mindless old fool."

"Sounds over qualified."

-- Black Adder

RockySterling on February 5th, 2025 at 18:19 UTC »

FYI: town and village court justices don't have to be lawyers to be elected, and most aren't, including this guy