JUDGE THOMPSON DISBARRED

The New Jersey Supreme Court disbarred former Municipal Court Judge Richard Thompson, criminally convicted of ticket-fixing (roughly 4,000 tickets or $600,000 to Bradley Beach, Colts Neck, Eatontown, Middletown, Neptune City, Oceanport, Rumson, Tinton Falls and Union Beach )and funneling funds to nine municipalities in an effort to curry favor from local officials from 2010 through most of 2015. A September 2019 decision from the Disciplinary Review Board recommended disbarment by an 8-1 vote. Thompson “argue[d] that, given the widespread abuse of contempt of court fines by municipal judges in New Jersey, it would not be fair to ‘single [him] out’ and impose disbarment for his conduct,” and “note[d] that he was never questioned regarding his contempt practices until four years into his scheme,” the DRB said in its opinion.