Former Judge Thomas Scattergood of Burlington, NJ; ethical elf

The State of New Jersey presented Thomas J. Scattergood with a law license in 1971 after he graduated from the University of California Berkerly Law School.

The New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct found Tommy guilty of the following misconduct, all of which took place while he was employed as a municipal court judge in various Burlington County town courts.

Tommy found it acceptable to downgrade traffic tickets for acquaintances instead of recusing (withdrawing) from the case.

He also thought it was cut to make sexist and undignified remarks at several court hearings. Instances of Tommy’s conduct are as follows:

• Improperly engaged in plea bargaining with defendants
• When defendant blamed fiancé for not making payments on his fine, Tommy said, “Well, when you trust a woman, that’s what you get.”
• Ordered defendant to pay $50 to get cellphone back after he ordered it confiscated even though there was no evidence the man was disruptive
• Intervened on behalf of relative of city employee
• Reduced charges/penalties w/o prosecutor being present

As a consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Judicial Misfits sitting on the New Jersey Supreme Court punished Tommy by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

As we speak (March 2016), Tommy practices law in Burlington, New Jersey.