Todd Whitford Removed

Todd C. Whitford, a town justice in Jerusalem, New York (Yates County) since 2018, resigned effective December 10, 2025, and agreed never to return to the bench, after the State Commission on Judicial Conduct charged him with bias, discourtesy, and a lack of legal competence. At a March 2022 hearing on an order of protection, Whitford insulted and demeaned the alleged victim of domestic violence, at one point telling her she had "the brain of a small child," and cross-examined her using materials that were never marked or admitted into evidence.

The Commission's four charges also included showing bias against women generally, mishandling evidence, and expressing disdain for law enforcement. Separately, Whitford made inappropriate remarks during a sentencing hearing, laughed at a prosecutor during a suppression hearing, and criticized state law while accepting a guilty plea in a DWI case. Whitford, who is not an attorney, waived confidentiality so the stipulation accepting his resignation could be made public.