Judge in Livingston County resigns after investigation

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A judge in Livingston County has resigned while under investigation by state officials.

James R. Mann, a justice of the town and village if Nunda, resigned after being accused of soliciting the assistance of the chief of police to thwart the arrest of his former brother-in-law for driving while intoxicated, according to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Mann has agreed never to seek or accept judicial office at any time in the future. The Commission accepted a stipulation and closed the case.

The complaint stems from a 2016 incident in which his former brother-in-law was stopped by police in a nearby town and given field sobriety tests, according to the Commission.

Allegedly, after Mann’s former wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle, called him by cell phone to tell him what was happening, Mann called the police chief and asked for “a break” for his former brother-in-law, according to the Commission.

The chief relayed the message to an officer and the judge’s former brother-in-law was let go without being charged. A passenger in the car took over the driving, according to the Commission.

Mann, who is not an attorney, served as a justice in the town and village since 2000.  His current terms would have expired on Dec. 31, 2019, and on March 31, 2022, respectively.