Judge in Broome County under scrutiny for alleged sexism, retaliation, undeclared income, prompting calls for dismissal from oversight body.
Family Court Judge Richard Miller II is facing a potential removal from office following allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and financial misconduct. The state's Commission on Judicial Conduct has ruled that the judge should be fired, citing a range of improprieties.
According to the commission's findings, Judge Miller made inappropriate comments to court clerks, including remarks about their appearance and personal effects. One such comment, made to a court clerk, was "You look really hot in that outfit," and another was "It's nice to know I still have that effect on you."
The commission also noted that Judge Miller berated a different court clerk for working too slowly and filed a frivolous complaint against her when she complained to her supervisor.
The commission found Judge Miller's explanations for failing to disclose his income to be "implausible." It was revealed that the judge failed to report $27,388 in private law income and $31,200 from rental properties on his federal and state tax returns. The judge's failure to disclose income was required to be reported to the court system to ensure no conflicts of interest.
The judge's term lasts for 10 years and pays $200,000 a year. His elected term runs through 2024.
The state's Court of Appeals will decide whether to remove the judge or allow him to argue his case again before the state's highest court. The majority of the nine-person commission believes that the state's highest court should remove Judge Miller from office.
It is worth noting that Judge Miller was previously a town justice and has been a lawyer since 1994. He was described as an effective and impartial judge by the commission. However, the commission concluded that the judge's misconduct warranted his removal from the bench.
Judge Miller has been sanctioned for ethics violations in 13 separate cases and was previously scolded for misleading campaign literature. He defended his inappropriate comments by suggesting that the court employee should have complained to him if she felt uncomfortable.
As of August 3, 2025, there are no available search results or public records regarding the removal, disciplinary actions, or official status of Judge Richard Miller II in Binghamton, NY, concerning the allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, or financial misconduct. None of the provided sources contain information related to this matter.
In light of the allegations, the commission's findings suggest that Judge Miller's behavior extends beyond the Family Court, as he is reported to have made inappropriate comments concerning general-news topics such as court clerks' appearance and personal effects, and has shown a pattern of crime-and-justice misconduct, including filing frivolous complaints and misleading campaign literature. Due to his alleged financial misconduct, the commission also noted Judge Miller's failure to disclose his income from private law work and rental properties, implying potential violations in the realm of crime-and-justice and general-news transparency.
