The gavel came down on Sloatsburg’s own Village Justice Thomas Newman, Jr., who has served the village in that post for many a long year.

In a ruling filed December 18, 2013 but made public this past Tuesday, Newman was censured by the New York State Commission of Judicial Conduct for an incident that occurred in August of 2011 when Newman tail ended a car lawfully stopped at the Rt. 17 and NY Thruway traffic light.

According to a report file by LoHud reporters Akiko Matsuda and James O’Rourke Tuesday, “Ramapo police responded to the scene to find Newman combative as well as inebriated.” A report in MidHudson News said that during the traffic incident Newman “expressed a wish to die and was otherwise uncooperative and disruptive.” Newman was arrested for driving while intoxicated, along with several other charges, whisked off to the Ramapo police station, and later admitted to Suffern’s Good Samaritan Hospital for “evaluation and treatment.”

Seven members of the state commission voted for censure while three voted against it “on the basis that the proposed disposition was too lenient.” Removal from office would be the harsher penalty. The commission said: “In censuring respondent on the facts presented here, we are mindful that the sanction of suspension from office without pay is not available to us.”

The commission also found that at no time during the incident did Judge Newman attempt to use his office in any unethical way and found that Newman has been thoroughly cooperative with the commission as well as taken actions to amend his behavior and has apparently abstained from alcohol. During the findings, Newman admitted to the commission that he has suffered from alcoholism in various stages for some 20 years.

“While it is fortunate that no one was seriously injured by his conduct, Judge Newman’s irresponsible public behavior while under the influence of alcohol dishonored the judiciary,” said Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian, according to a MidHudson News report:

However, it is noteworthy that Judge Newman did not attempt to use his judicial position to avoid the consequences of his conduct. And to his credit, for more than a year Judge Newman has demonstrated a serious commitment to treat and overcome the effects that the disease of alcoholism has had on him. Under such circumstances, it seems appropriate to recommend that he remain in office.

Sloatsburg’s Justice Court under Judge Newman is usually a no-nonsense proceeding that runs like clockwork. Traffic Court meets two Mondays per month and Criminal Court meets on Wednesdays once per month. An elected position, Newman ran unopposed in 2012 to another term that will run through 2016. He has served Sloatsburg as Village Justice since approximately 1992.

Akiko and O’Rourke wrote that Judge Newman’s attorney, Patrick Burke of Goshen, N.Y., said the state commission’s finding was fair but that Newman is also a good man who’s reputation should not be defined by the one incident.

“Tom Newman is a good man and I think anyone who reads that decision straight through to the end will agree,” Burke said Tuesday in the LoHud report. “He fully cooperated with the commission. He’s a good person and a good judge.”