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Whew! Roommates, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct seeks to remove Judge Erin Gall over racist remarks towards four Black teenagers.
On July 22, the request followed allegations that Judge Erin Gall threatened Black teens while at a 2022 graduation party.
PEOPLE reports that Erin P. Gall, a judge from Oneida County, went on a lengthy rant after the event. The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct released police body camera footage of the outburst.
Per the media outlet, bodycam footage shows the teens searching for lost car keys while Gall yells at them to leave and take an Uber home.
The video later shows the New York judge threatening to shoot the teens, who were still searching for their car keys.
“If they come back looking for it, I’ll call you while they’re on the property. If they did, they’ll be arrested, or they’ll be shot on the property. Because when they trespass, you can shoot them on the property. I’ll shoot them on the property,” Gall says.
Newsweek revealed that Gall’s derogatory outburst followed a clash between invited and uninvited guests at a New Hartford, New York party. She attended with her family, while four Black teens arrived after seeing the event on a live feed.
Gall eventually asked the responding officers to arrest the four teenagers and repeatedly emphasized that she was a judge.
When warned about a potential lawsuit, Erin Gall assured officers of her support.
“Listen, but guess what, the good part is — the good part is I’m always on your side. You know I’d take anyone down for you guys. You know that. You know that. You know I am on your side,” Gall exclaimed.
AP reports that Erin Gall is suspended with pay as the New York Court of Appeals deliberates.
However, Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian condemned Gall’s actions in a statement accompanying the report.
“It is utterly unacceptable for a judge to threaten gun violence, exhibit racial prejudice, promise favorable treatment for the police, or disparage a law intended to keep guns away from dangerous people. Any one of these things would undermine public confidence in the administration of justice,” Tembeckjian said.
According to CBS, Erin Gall’s attorney plans to appeal, but the New York State Court of Appeals will make the final decision regarding her removal. Per AP, Gall attributes her actions and words to the Black teens to trauma from a 1990 assault.
Gall’s attorney, Robert Julian, suggests a lesser sanction instead of removal.
“Judge Gall has been remorseful, apologetic and accepting of responsibility. She acknowledged from the very beginning that she was embarrassed by her conduct and humiliated at the way in which she reacted to the unforeseen events that had occurred. It is the opinion of her psychologists that her conduct was secondary to a trauma reaction, which we offer not as an excuse but as an explanation,” Julian explained.
