(VitalNews.org) – A judge on the Supreme Court of New Jersey is being investigated for uploading videos to TikTok that a formal complaint referred to as “inappropriate”. Operating under the username “Sal Torella”, Gary Wilcox, 58, allegedly created and posted 40 videos to the website between April 11th, 2021, and March 4th, 2023.
Judge Wilcox, who has practiced law in New Jersey since 1989, can be seen lip-synching to popular, if profane, songs by a variety of musicians, including Rihanna and Busta Rhymes. Some of the songs not only feature swear words but also racial epithets and lewd references to body parts.
The video performances that helped Judge Wilcox gain approximately 100 followers on TikTok, a popular video-sharing social media platform, include clips of him dressed in his judicial robes, or only partially dressed. One video shows him walking through the courthouse corridors whilst wearing a “Beavis and Butthead” t-shirt, and another shows him in his Judge’s chambers mouthing along to lyrics of a violent nature. One video is reported to show him posing in his bed for the camera. The videos have since been removed from the TikTok platform.
The complaint alleges that Judge Wilcox’s behavior showed a lack of respect for the judiciary system and fell short of the high standards expected of members of the legal profession. It also alleges that he has broken New Jersey’s judicial code of conduct on at least three occasions.
Gary Wilcox’s lawyer, Robert Hille, said that he is in the process of reviewing the complaint, but that he is confident that nobody could believe Mr. Wilcox to have intended to cause harm with his videos. Whether or not the videos were meant with any negative intent, the complaint could see Mr. Wilcox face a hearing and consequent judicial disciplinary action. Such action could include public admonishment, a suspension from duty, or even the start of proceedings to remove Judge Wilcox from his position on the bench.
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