Naita Semaj Censured

Naita A. Semaj, a Justice of the New York Supreme Court's 12th Judicial District in the Bronx, was censured by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct for a pattern of poor demeanor toward assistant district attorneys. Between March 2022 and April 2023, the Commission found Semaj unjustifiably ejected three ADAs from her courtroom, yelled at prosecutors appearing before her, made sarcastic comments about them, and inappropriately commented on one ADA's pregnancy. The Commission determined this repeated criticism of prosecutors was inconsistent with a judge's obligation to maintain patience, dignity, and courtesy toward those who appear before her, and to avoid bias or its appearance. Semaj and the Commission's administrator entered an Agreed Statement of Facts on April 21, 2025, in which Semaj accepted the censure and waived further proceedings.