New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Faces The Heat in Judicial Ethics Charges

A New Jersey judicial ethics committee filed a Complaint against New Jersey associate Supreme Court Justice Roberto River-Soto on May 11, 2007 accusing him of violating certain Judicial Canons, and R. 4:15-8(a)(6) which bars conduct that brings the judicial office into disrepute. The Complaint stems from Justice Rivero-Soto's involvement with his son's juvenile delinquency complaint filed in municipal court against another high school football player accused of harassment.

Rivera-Soto's son accused the captain of the Haddonfield Memorial High School football team of assaulting him during practice. According to the ethics committee complaint — just the second ethics complaint filed against a state Supreme Court justice in more than three decades — Rivera-Soto made phone calls or wrote letters to team and school officials, the local police chief, two judges and the Camden County prosecutor on behalf of his son.

At times, the ethics complaint charged, Rivera-Soto alluded to his office while placing calls. When introducing himself to a detective sergeant, Rivera-Soto handed out his business card. He also asked a Camden County Superior Court assignment judge to treat his charges the same as any other, but asked him "to make certain his complaint received attention." He did the same with Camden County's acting prosecutor.

When a court hearing was delayed without his knowledge or prior notice, Rivera-Soto allegedly asked a court employee "if she knew who he was" and gave her a business card, then wrote the presiding judge to complain about the postponement.

Rivera-Soto admitted contacting the Haddonfield police chief, the acting Camden County prosecutor, and judges in the case. But, the response says, he did not mean to improperly influence them and in one circumstance wrote to a judge on personal letterhead bearing his name and home address.

“It was never his purpose or intention to influence the acts of anyone by reference to his judicial position," the response says of Rivera-Soto. "His intent at all times was to avoid any appearance of impropriety," and he regrets any misunderstanding.

A hearing remains to be scheduled and conducted by the judicial ethics committee.