By The Ethics Reporter

When a judge dons the black robe, the public expects impartiality, adherence to the law, and above all, fairness. But in Rockland County, Acting Supreme Court Justice David Fried appears to be writing his own rulebook—one where the bench is allegedly used as a weapon to retaliate against critics and evade legal due process.

Judge David Fried, who previously served in Ramapo and Spring Valley before being elevated to the New York State Court of Claims by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2023, has recently issued a court order that raises alarming questions about his judicial temperament and ethics. Following a bar complaint filed against him by The Ethics Reporter regarding his unhinged behavior toward a minority female attorney, Judge David Fried struck back.

In a March 30, 2026, Decision and Order (Adler v. Pollak, Index No. 035769/2025), Judge David Fried spent paragraphs defaming the very attorney involved in the inquest that triggered the ethics complaint. Instead of addressing the merits of the case objectively, David Fried engaged in a retaliatory smear campaign disguised as a judicial opinion.

But what is most striking is the legal gymnastics David Fried employed at the end of his order. Recognizing that formally sanctioning the attorney under Part 130 would require him to issue an Order to Show Cause (OSC)—a process that guarantees due process and allows the attorney to formally defend herself on the record—Judge David Fried took a cowardly detour.

He explicitly stated he was declining to impose a formal sanction "in his discretion," presenting this as an act of grace. However, in the very same breath, he ordered the attorney and her law office to be "jointly and severally liable" for $3,500 in "costs."

Make no mistake: David Fried wasn't doing anyone a favor. By labeling the financial penalty as an "award of costs" rather than a sanction, Judge David Fried successfully bypassed his own failure to properly bring the attorney in on an Order to Show Cause. It was a calculated maneuver to circumvent due process, ensuring he could financially penalize an attorney without triggering the strict procedural safeguards designed to protect lawyers from rogue judges. He is using this loophole to shield his own malfeasance from higher appellate scrutiny.

This kind of behavior from Judge David Fried is not just unethical; it is the hallmark of a jurist who believes he is above the law. When a judge uses his power to retaliate against a bar complaint and defame legal professionals in public records, it undermines the integrity of the entire New York State judicial system.

In this 5-part series, The Ethics Reporter will do a deep dive into the life, court decisions, and troubling history of Judge David Fried. From his courtroom temper tantrums to his past political controversies, we will expose why David Fried’s conduct requires immediate intervention by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Sociopathy on the Bench? Analyzing Rockland County Judge David Fried’s Inquest Transcripts.