A behind-the-scenes look at a tight-knit social circle of lawyers and a sitting judge ultimately led to an early exit from the New York bench, according to state court officials.
According to the New York Post, Rockland County Supreme Court Justice Sherri Eisenpress agreed to retire effective April 28 after investigators concluded she repeatedly failed to disclose close personal relationships with attorneys who regularly appeared in her courtroom.
The New York State Commission of Judicial Conduct detailed the allegations Monday, describing a pattern of undisclosed conflicts that spanned years.
According to the commission, Eisenpress maintained friendships with a group of about six attorneys who argued cases before her between 2019 and 2024.
During that same period, the judge and the lawyers allegedly traveled together on multiple vacations, including trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Jersey Shore.
The relationships extended beyond travel.
Court officials said Eisenpress was part of group text message chains that included “off-color jokes” and “sexually graphic images.”
The group chats reportedly carried names such as “Punta Cana Partiers,” “Bougie B*tches,” and “Queen Dara and Her Loyal Subjects,” a reference to the court’s principal attorney.
“[Eisenpress] and the members of the group text message chain … shared confidences and discussed and shared social and travel plans and invitations, gossip, photos, off-color jokes, and sexually graphic images,” the commission wrote.
Investigators said Eisenpress did not disclose these relationships while presiding over cases involving the attorneys, violating judicial ethics rules that require judges to remain impartial and transparent.
In her response to the allegations, Eisenpress pushed back on the characterization of the messages.
She argued there were “very few jokes or images that could be considered, depending on the context, as off color.” She also maintained that none of the questionable material was sent by her and said her relationships with the attorneys were either “friendly, collegial relationships” or simply “collegial relationships,” according to legal filings.
The commission outlined additional concerns involving Eisenpress’s handling of cases tied to her staff. She was accused of presiding over 41 matters involving the law firm of her principal law clerk’s spouse without disclosing the connection or restricting the clerk’s involvement.
In another instance, Eisenpress allegedly oversaw a matrimonial case in which an attorney for one party was co-hosting a fundraiser for her judicial campaign. She recused herself only after opposing counsel raised objections, the commission said.
In 2024, Eisenpress also reportedly declined to immediately step aside from a case involving her law clerk’s husband, later recusing herself for unrelated reasons.
Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian described the allegations as “serious,” adding that “her permanent departure from office is appropriate.”
Eisenpress defended her record in a resignation letter dated Jan. 29.
“During my tenure, I was mindful of the responsibility that comes with expanding access to justice and strengthening public trust in the court,” she wrote.
Through her attorney, Eisenpress said it was the “greatest honor of my professional life to serve the people of New York,” while acknowledging disagreements with the commission’s findings.
“I have nevertheless concluded that the most responsible course for my family, was to step aside rather than subject litigants, myself, the court system, and my colleagues to a prolonged and financially draining proceeding,” she stated.
