New York, NY, Friday, December 13, 2024 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) calls upon the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct to fully and fairly investigate reports that a Syracuse City Court Judge performed a marriage ceremony for a heterosexual couple in her courtroom, but then left the bench when a same-sex couple stepped forward to be married. Everyone is entitled to have his or her rights equally respected by judges, a concept that certainly extends to couples coming to a courthouse to exercise their right to marry. WBASNY recognizes that there may be judges with sincerely held religious beliefs that influence their personal views. Regardless, we cannot permit those personal beliefs to allow a judge to make biased or prejudicial decisions contrary to their judicial obligation to administer the law fairly and equitably. The right to marry for same-sex couples is recognized by the Supreme Court of the United States of America and is protected by the New York State Constitution. WBASNY urges that this matter be investigated.

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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for the nearly 4,000 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For more than four decades, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families. Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 40-plus substantive law committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.