Gumo Article Has False Statements

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The article written by Lillian Browne in the March 9 edition of The Reporter, titled “Delhi Justice Removed From Criminal Cases” is replete with falsehood. I am the attorney discussed in the article and have firsthand knowledge of the accusations contained therein. Richard Gumo’s criminal jurisdiction was removed by an order signed by New York State Supreme County Administrative Judge Eugene D. Faughnan. The Delaware County Legislative Committee has no jurisdiction to remove cases from any judge and play no role in the removal of cases from Justice Gumo.

I did not file an ethics complaint against Justice Gumo in 2006 and did not sign any affidavit or testify against him in any judicial ethics proceeding brought against him. The proceedings were instituted after Justice Gumo testified in a County Court proceeding wherein an Otsego County Court Judge found that “Judge Gumo was either totally confused or disingenuous in his sworn testimony,” and thereafter found that an arrest warrant he signed was defective.

For some reason, Justice Gumo blamed me for his conduct and recused himself from all cases involving the Delaware County Public Defender’s Office. His actions cost Delaware County taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in payments to various assigned criminal defense attorneys.

There were absolutely no politics involved in the sanctions levied against Justice Gumo. The incident came to the attention of Judge Richard Northrup on September 29, 2021 when Justice Gumo stated in a letter to the court that “... Attorney Ermeti falsely accused me and my then clerk in open court of forging our signatures on court documents.” I responded that I did no such thing.

These events occurred before I announced my intention to run for County Court Judge. Hence, there was no political motive involved.

I have the documentary evidence in my possession to prove every statement which I have made in this letter.

I find it completely unprofessional that I was not contacted by the author of this story to provide the correct version of events in this case. The lack of investigation into the actual facts of this case constitutes reckless reporting and this newspaper completely lacks any journalistic integrity.

Joseph A. Ermeti, Esq.

Sidney