Will New York Divorce Judge Be Held In Contempt Over His Own Divorce? The Interesting Details!
A New York state Supreme Court justice could be on the other side of the bench if held in contempt over his divorce case, according to an interesting story in today’s Time Herald-Record. Alexis Furer has filed a contempt-of-court motion against her ex-hubby, Judge Lance Horowitz, for his alleged actions, make that, lack of actions following their finalized New York divorce in June of last year. Furer alleges that Horowitz failed to repair their house in Westchester County and put it on the market. As a member of the the New York state Supreme Court, Horowitz often helps decide divorce cases; an irony not lost on many people!
Horowitz could not comment because a of a gag rule requiring sitting judges to be silent about cases, even if it’s his own case. If cited for contempt, Horowitz’s actions could by further investigated by the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct and its top member Robert Tembeckjian, who said he couldn’t remember a situation in which a sitting judge was found in contempt of the court. Tembeckjian added that such a situation could, at least on the surface, undermine the public’s trust in the judiciary. According to the story, Horowitz was elected to a 14-year term in the New York state Supreme Court in 2003 and assigned to Orange County a year later due to a lack of judges. Horowitz earns $136,700 a year as a judge.
Horowitz will represent himself in this New York divorce case. A hearing date has yet to be set to determine whether Horowitz should be held in contempt. According to an unnamed court clerk in the story, Justice Arthur Diamond will first review written arguments from Horowitz and his ex-wife’s divorce lawyer. We’ll keep you updated on any developments in this interesting case.
