Judge faces ethics complaint for being pro-cop on Facebook

A municipal court judge in Point Pleasant Beach is facing an ethics complaint after a review of his personal Facebook page showed support for law enforcement, Republican candidates for the legislature, and opposition to bail reform.

Robert M. Lepore had posted and reposted “Blue Lives Matter” images and had “liked” or “followed” law enforcement groups on Facebook, including the Point Pleasant Police Department, the Brick PBA, the New Jersey State Police, and a page called “Survive the Streets: A Page for Cops. “

“By his affiliations with law enforcement on his personal Facebook account, Respondent expressed a bias for law enforcement, or minimally created the appearance of a bias, that cast reasonable doubt on Respondent’s ability to act impartially as a judge,” a complaint filed by the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct stated.

The panel alleges that Lepore “created and engaged in a conflict of interest when presiding over matters involving police officers.”    They also claim his Facebook “likes” of private businesses and law firms lends the prestige of his judgeship for “the personal or economic benefit of others.”

Lepore is accused of liking a group called “NJ Bail Reform – Why New Jersey is LESS SAFE at the Taxpayers Expense.”  According to a complaint filed by the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, the group “espouses views that contravene the Criminal Justice Reform initiative launched by the Judiciary.”

The complaint states that after being advised by the ACJC that his social media posts violated judicial ethics rules, Lepore told them he pulled “ethically inappropriate content” from Facebook, but never did.

Lepore had been the longtime municipal court judge in Brick before replacing James Liguori in Point Pleasant Beach in 2020.