NYC Judge Censured After Bringing Gun to Court for Improper Experiment

A judge in Manhattan has been censured by the state commission on judicial conduct after he displayed his gun during a courtroom proceeding as part of a legal experiment. Judge Jeffrey A. Gershuny allegedly failed to secure his firearm and misled a police officer who was on the witness stand regarding the contents of a bag, which he claimed held his gun but actually contained a stapler.

The misconduct occurred during an August 2025 hearing aimed at determining the admissibility of a gun as evidence in a case. Gershuny, by his own admission, recognized his actions were improper and has expressed remorse. Despite an existing law that restricts bringing firearms into courthouses, there are exceptions for judges under specific conditions. However, the state commission emphasized that Gershuny’s actions undermined public trust in the judiciary.