Judge Faces Suspension Over Controversial TikTok Videos in Judicial Robes

A judge from New Jersey has been officially suspended for sharing TikTok videos that did not adhere to the expected high standards of judicial conduct.

Bergen County Superior Court Judge Gary Wilcox received a three-month suspension due to TikTok content uploaded to his now-removed profile.

Known competitively as ‘Sal Tortorella,’ Wilcox gained notoriety between 2021 and 2023 for posting videos featuring him partially dressed while inside his bedroom.

Furthermore, a complaint lodged in 2023 by the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct highlighted that the Harvard-educated judge recorded himself lip-syncing explicit lyrics in his judicial office.

Reports indicate that Wilcox uploaded a total of 40 TikToks that contained inappropriate content. In one notable clip, he can be seen in front of legal texts, performing the lyrics, “All my life, I’ve been waiting for somebody to whoop my ass. I mean business! You think you can run up on me and whip my ass? Come on. Come on!”

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Judge Gary Wilcox from Bergen County is currently under investigation for creating multiple TikToks where he lip-syncs to songs filled with profanity, sexual suggestions, and racially charged language. #nj #njspotlightnews #judge #investigation #tiktok #bergencounty #judicial #courts

♬ Summer – Croquet Club

The complaint further alleged that the judge showcased lyrics with references to drugs and gangs, along with derogatory and discriminatory phrases.

In defense of their client, Wilcox’s lawyers claimed that the judge was simply engaging in “innocent fun.”

“This was merely a light-hearted endeavor that never aimed to cause any harm to himself or the judiciary,” they stated. “Thinking this activity was playful and harmless, [Wilcox] opened an account out of curiosity to explore this new trend.”

Regardless of their arguments, Wilcox acknowledged that his actions tarnished the reputation of the judiciary in court documents.

Wilcox’s attorneys requested a reprimand; however, the committee decided on a suspension due to violations of three judicial guidelines, including the failure to “observe high standards and conduct.”

The suspension took effect on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, and will last until January 8, 2025.

As Wilcox deals with his suspension, TikTok is also confronting the possibility of a ban in the U.S. ByteDance, the platform’s parent company, has until April 2024 to either divest its U.S. division or face a shutdown.

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