Judge Catherine Panepinto of Buffalo, NY; ethical troll

The state of New York provided Catherine R. Nugent Panepinto with a law license in 1998 after she graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.

The New York Commission on Judicial Conduct found Judge Panepinto guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

• Made repeated public comments about issues and individuals involving teachers at Buffalo City Honors School (CHS) in connection with impending litigation by the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) against the Buffalo Board of Education (BBOE), in person, by email, and on social media platforms in which she was publicly identified as a judge
• Assisted in providing legal information and advice to parents of students at CHS
• Spoke about the pending and impending cases with members of BBOE
• Joined BTF counsel in the courthouse and outside the courtroom prior to a case conference
• Executed an affidavit that was filed in litigation in Erie County Supreme Court
• Failed to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety
• Failed to respect and comply with the law (scofflaw)
• Failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary
• Failed to maintain high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary would be preserved
• Lent the prestige of her judicial office to advance her own private interest and the private interests of others
• Failed to perform the duties of her judicial office impartially
• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• Violated Code of Conduct by making public comments about a pending or impending proceeding
• Failed to conduct her extrajudicial activities so that they do not cast reasonable doubt on her capacity to act
• impartially as a judge and detract from the dignity of judicial office
• Improperly gave legal advice to individuals other than a member of her family

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Conduct Commission punished Judge Panepinto by gifting her with a complimentary censure.

As we speak (ca. January 2021), Judge Panepinto continues to practice her brand of jurisprudence as Justice of the Supreme Court, Eighth Judicial District, Erie County in Buffalo, New York.