A New Jersey Superior Court Judge is under fire and may potentially lose his job for rapping and lip-syncing the lyrics from several songs by two notorious New York rappers, Nas, and Busta Rhymes, and other artists.
The complaint was filed against Judge Gary N. Wilcox by the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct on June 30 in Trenton, New Jersey, for posting videos on social media under the alias, “Sal Tortorella.”
Wilcox is accused of making and posting 40 videos between April 2021, and March 2023, 11 of which the Advisory Committee thought were “inappropriate and brought disrepute to the Judiciary.”
The complaint states that the videos were inappropriate due to Wilcox dancing to music with “references to violence, sex, and misogyny.” It also mentioned the location of some of the judge’s videos, which were filmed in the courthouse and in a bed, showing him in his judicial robe.
One of the videos in question is a video of Wilcox lip-syncing Rihanna’s song, “Jump” while wearing a T-shirt. The lyrics referenced in the complaint are “If you want it let’s do it. Ride it, my pony. My saddle is waitin’, come and jump on it. If you want it, let’s do it.” The track samples Ginuwine’s 1996 song “Pony.”
The complaint also took issue with the Harvard Law School graduate making videos inside his chambers as he lip-synced to lyrics while dressed in a suit and tie.
“All my life, I’ve been waiting for somebody to whup my a- -. I mean business! You think you can run up on me and whip my monkey a- -? Come on. Come on!”
One video of the judge allegedly shows him in a suit, holding cash while singing lyrics to “Sure Thing” by Miguel and lighting a match. Another video shows him wearing a “Beavis and Butt-Head” T-shirt as he walked through the courthouse with “Get Down” by Nas “playing in the background.”
“The song contains explicit lyrics concerning a criminal case and a courtroom shooting as well as derogatory and discriminatory terms, drug and gang references, and the killing of a doctor in a hospital who treated another gang member,” reads the complaint.
The Advisory Committee was seemingly most offended by one video of the 59-year-old lip-synching to “Touch It” by Busta Rhymes. Text in the video reads, “When an ex-girlfriend calls you ‘Santa’ because of your new white beard.”
“The song playing in the background, Touch It by Busta Rhymes, contains graphic lyrics,” states the complaint. “The following lyrics are audible during the video: ‘For the
record, just a second, I’m freakin’ it out. While she tryin’ to touch, see, I was peepin’
it out. She turned around and was tryin’ to put my d**k in her mouth. I let her.'”
The complaint accused the judge of violating the Code of Judicial Conduct with the videos, including rules that require judges to “observe high standards of conduct” as well as “avoid impropriety” and the “appearance of impropriety” and to act in a manner such as not to “demean the judicial office.”
Wilcox is accused of exhibiting “poor judgment” and “disrespect” for the committee, which they claim “undermines public confidence in the Judiciary.”
Fans have mixed feelings after hearing the news about the Judge potentially being reprimanded for liking “good music.”
“So he cant enjoy good music because he’ s a judge?”
“Thats strange. Was the rapping too good? Are they afraid he no longer wants to be a judge? Im confused.”
“If he was rapping to Eminem’s lyrics, I don’t think it will spark up any investigation.”
Wilcox’s attorney Robert Hille told The New York Times that he meant no harm by making the videos.
“I don’t think that at the end of the day anybody is going to believe there was any desire to do any harm here,” Hille said. “Hindsight is 20-20.”
It’s unclear how Judge Wilcox could be disciplined, but according to the New Jersey courts website, the complaint could result in him being reprimanded with private discipline, public admonition, public reprimand, public censure, or suspension. He could also be removed from the bench. Wilcox did not respond to requests for comment.
