The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has released its findings on the inappropriate online behavior of a Cayuga County justice.
A determination dated December 12 and made public Thursday by the commission recommended Montezuma Town Justice William Futrell be removed from office for his conduct.
The commission says, in 2022, Futrell posted Nazi imagery on his Facebook page. The determination says his profile page was “[the] image of a human skull that appeared identical to the Nazi SS/Totenkopf forces insignia utilized during World War II. The letters “FF” (“Futrell Firearms”) were emblazoned above the eye sockets of the skull in a style simulating the appearance of the “SS” abbreviation of the Nazi Schutzstaffel.” Another example cited by the commission is a meme where Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerburg is dressed as a Nazi with the words “EXPOSING FRIENDS TO EXTREMIST CONTENT” around it.
Aside from the Nazi imagery, the commission also charged him with liking several pages featuring images of scantily clad or partially nude women in provacitve poses.
A formal complaint was filed against Futrell in May of 2023, to which he did not respond. This eventually resulted in the summary determination.
“The public cannot have any confidence in the integrity, judgment and impartiality of a judge who posts Nazi imagery on social media. By his conduct, respondent brought reproach upon the judiciary and severely undermined public confidence in the judiciary,” the determination stated.
Futrell, who is not an attorney, has been a Montezuma Town Justice since 2020. His current time was set to expire on December 31. On February 28, he sent a resignation email to the town supervisor effective immediately.
The full text of the determination can be read here.
