A word to the wise if the Commission on Judicial Conduct is investigating you: As you get on the elevator when you leave the Commission’s offices, don’t say, “This place is a f*****g clown show.” Matter of Terrence C. O’Connor, Comm. Determination (“Determination”), p. 5, fn. 3..

It might also behoove any judge in the crosshairs of the Commission to focus on the importance of walking the delicate line between a vigorous, aggressive defense, to which all judges are entitled by New York Court of Appeals’ precedent (see Matter of Kiley, 74 N.Y.2d364, 370-71 (1989); Matter of Hart, 7 N.Y.3d 1, 11 (2006)) and due process, and the temptation to be arrogant, hyper-technical or obfuscatory.