Judge Gary N. Wilcox from New Jersey is currently facing an investigation following his posting of several videos on the social media platform TikTok. In these videos, he can be seen rapping along to songs by artists such as Nas and Busta Rhymes, among others. The content of these videos has raised concerns and led to an inquiry into Judge Wilcox’s actions.
According to The New York Times, a complaint filed with New Jersey’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct has revealed that Judge Gary N. Wilcox used the alias “Sal Tortorella” to post approximately 40 videos on TikTok from April 2021 to March 2023. At least 11 of these videos were deemed “inappropriate” and were seen as bringing disrepute to the Judiciary. Some of the songs he lip-synced to in these videos included “Get Down” by Nas, “Touch It” by Busta Rhymes, and “Jump” by Rihanna. The complaint has raised concerns about Judge Wilcox’s behavior and its impact on his judicial role.
The complaint lodged against Judge Gary N. Wilcox alleges that his actions in posting the videos displayed “poor judgment” and indicated a lack of respect for the judiciary, failing to meet the expected standards of conduct for judges. As a consequence, a hearing has been scheduled, and disciplinary action, including potential dismissal from his judicial position, could ensue. Robert Hille, Wilcox’s lawyer, has maintained that there was no intent to cause harm and emphasized the benefit of hindsight in assessing the situation.
Wilcox faced particular scrutiny for the videos in which he rapped along to lyrics containing explicit profanity, sexually graphic references, and potentially racist terms. The videos were considered highly inappropriate, especially given his role as a judge. Notably, one video showed him walking through the courthouse, while another featured him wearing his judicial robes. In a specific video, he stood up in his chambers and lip-synced 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 monkey ass?” These actions further compounded the criticism and raised concerns about his conduct as a judge.