David Wilbanks

David W. Wilbanks, Justice of the Fort Covington Town Court in Franklin County, New York, was recommended for removal by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct on April 25, 2024. The Commission found Wilbanks failed to file mandatory monthly financial reports and remit court-collected funds to the State Comptroller from December 2022 through May 2023 — a lapse serious enough that the state stopped his judicial salary until he filed the overdue reports in July 2023, up to six months late.

Beyond the financial failures, the Commission found Wilbanks refused to cooperate with its investigation, failing to respond to two inquiry letters and not appearing for testimony when summoned. Based on these uncontested facts, the Commission found the allegations proven and all 11 members concurred in recommending his removal from office.