A small-town judge who once presided over traffic tickets and misdemeanor cases has now found himself on the other side of the bench. Lucas H. Ferrin, a Justice of the Conquest Town Court abruptly resigned this past spring after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated—part of a broader misconduct case that included obstructing governmental administration and traffic violations.
Ferrin, who had served since January 2024, stepped down on April 28, 2025, the same day he entered his plea in Mentz Town Court. The DWI conviction, a misdemeanor, resolved a series of charges stemming from an incident on October 26, 2024, when Ferrin was pulled over for erratic driving. His resignation was a condition of the plea agreement.
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct accepted Ferrin’s permanent resignation under a signed stipulation dated May 23 and issued a final decision on June 12. In it, Ferrin pledged never to seek or accept judicial office again and waived his right to confidentiality in the proceedings.
“This decision has not come easily,” Ferrin wrote in his resignation letter. “However, after careful consideration and in the interest of justice and my family, I believe this is the right course. It is essential to me that the integrity of the bench is preserved.”
Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian underscored the severity of the misconduct. “Driving While Intoxicated and related offenses endanger not just the inebriated driver but passengers, others on the road, pedestrians, and police officers in pursuit,” he said. “Judges must be especially mindful of setting the right example in this regard.”
Ferrin, who is not an attorney, was in the second year of a term set to expire in December 2027. His departure is the 152nd permanent resignation accepted by the Commission since the process began in 2003.
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