A family court judge charged with ethics infractions admits she sought advice on her own child-support problem from a lawyer who had cases filed in her court, but she denies any complicity in covering up the conflict of interest.

Superior Court Judge Melanie Appleby in Ocean County says she didn’t know that the attorney she consulted, Frank Louis, hid behind the name and letterhead of another lawyer in an attempt to conceal his involvement and preserve his ability to appear before her.