NYS Supreme Court Judge Lewis Lubell
Westchester State Supreme Court Justice Lewis Lubell agreed to a decision from the NYS Commission on Judicial Misconduct to be admonished for actions he took that benefited his friend and partner Mitchell Lieberman, who isin the law firm of Lieberman & Lieberman.
In a unanimous, 10-0 decision, the Commission found that Lubell tried to influence Supreme Court Justice Thomas Quinones in 2022 in a matrimonial case.
The Commission report reads,” Charge I of the Complaint alleged on August 19, 2022, after having spoken with his friend Mitchell P. Lieberman about a pending matrimonial case that Mr. Lieberman, an attorney, had before Supreme Court Justice Thomas Quinones (Westchester County), respondent initiated an ex parte conversation about that case with Judge Quinones and gave him advice on an issue Mr. Lieberman had raised. The Complaint further alleged that on September 16, 2022, respondent had another ex parte conversation with Judge Quinones about Mr. Lieberman’s case, inter alia asking if Judge Quinones had considered firing his court attorney over the matter raised by Mr. Lieberman.
“Respondent and Judge Quinones socialized together and with mutual acquaintances, their Supreme Court chambers were near to each other in 2022, and from time to time, respondent gave Judge Quinones professional advice.
“On August 17, 2022, Edit Shkreli, who at the time was Judge Quinones’ court attorney, conducted a case conference in Allison Cooper Cohen v Jacques Cohen (“Cohen”), a contested matrimonial matter.
“Respondent has been contrite and cooperative throughout the Commission’s inquiry, and forthrightly acknowledged the impropriety of his conversations with Judge Quinones.
“Respondent violated Sections 100.1, 100.2(A), 100.2(B), 100.2(C), and 100.3(B)(6) of the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (“Rules”) and should be disciplined for cause, pursuant to Article VI, Section 22, subdivision a, of the New York State Constitution and Section 44, subdivision 1, of the Judiciary Law.
“Charge I of the Formal Written Complaint is sustained. Respondent’s conduct was inconsistent with his obligations to maintain high standards of conduct and to “act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”
“The Rules, with limited exceptions not applicable here, prohibit a judge from initiating, permitting or considering ex parte communications about a Judge Quinones’s Court Attorney Edit Shkreli,
“Respondent violated his ethical obligations when he engaged in improper, undisclosed communications regarding the Cohen matter with attorney Lieberman and with his co-judge.
The entire determination can be found at https://cjc.ny.gov/Determinations/L/Lubell.Lewis.J.2024.11.07.DET.pdf
Lubell accepted the commission’s public sanction after admitting to an agreed-on statement of facts. Judge Lubell has been a Justice of the Supreme Court since 2006. He served as an Acting Justice of the Ardsley Village Court from 2003 to 2005. His current term expires on December 31, 2033.
