NJ's High Court to Decide on 'Joking Judge' Case
A judge in New Jersey is about to find out if the state's highest court has a sense of humor.
The Supreme Court is expected on Thursday to release its decision on whether Vince A. Sicari can keep his job as a municipal judge while moonlighting as a stand-up comedian.
The 44-year-old, whose stage name is Vince August, has carved out a career as a stand-up comic and actor, appearing on network television, in New York City comedy clubs and as a warm-up for Comedy Central audiences.
He's also a part-time municipal judge in South Hackensack, where he handles things like traffic ticket cases and disorderly persons offenses.
A state ethics board recommended in 2008 that Sicari quit his comedy work. It had expressed concern over Sicari's character depictions on an ABC reality show and the potential content of his sketches.
Sicari appealed the ruling to the state's highest court, which heard arguments in February.
Sicari's attorney, E. Drew Britcher, insisted at the time that his client never cracked wise on the bench and never let on that he moonlighted as a comic. In his comedy routine, Britcher added, Sicari refrained from jokes about the legal profession and never divulged his other job as a judge.
An attorney for the state Attorney General's office, Kim D. Ringler, argued against Sicari being allowed to hold both jobs, saying municipal judges represent the most frequent contact the public has with the justice system. Some of the characters Sicari has depicted could confuse the public and reflect badly on the judiciary, she argued.
Several justices questioned whether the public had the ability to separate Sicari's position as a judge from roles he has played on the ABC hidden camera show "What Would You Do?" in which he has portrayed homophobic and racist characters.
Sicari, who is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and other professional performers' unions, has said his entertainment work entitles him to health benefits and earns him more than his $13,000 -a-year part-time judge salary.
Reached Wednesday, Sicari declined to comment ahead of Thursday's ruling.
He said during the Supreme Court arguments in February that he was equally passionate about both his jobs.
Source: Associated Press
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