Spectrum News 1 is following a developing story that New York state Senator and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Luis Sepulveda isn’t showing up in court for some of his clients he’s representing as an attorney.
Spectrum News 1 can independently confirm that within the past year, the state senator was a no-show for at least three of his cases.
When reached for comment, Sepulveda’s campaign advisor Mike Nieves refused.
“This never should have happened,” said John Kaehny the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a watchdog group that advocates for a transparent and accountable New York government.
“Chairs of judiciary committees should not practice law before New York state courts,” said Kaehny. “In a federal court, it would be a different matter because they would not have much influence.”
Kaehny said the reports surrounding Sepulveda are concerning giving his influence as the Senate Judiciary Committee’s chair, an appointment he was given in January.
“Going before judges whose jobs you could potentially endanger and threaten and coerce is a recipe for conflict of interest, and also for applying undo pressure and gaining an unfair advantage in a legal proceeding,” said Kaehny.
Despite state law allowing Sepulveda to continue practicing law while being Senate Judiciary chair, Kaehny said he believes it’s time for the lawmaker to make a decision.
“It’s the ethics of it, not just the optics of it,” said Kaehny. “It’s the sense of responsibility towards the office and respect for that office, and the authority it grants a person.”
In a recent published report by New York Focus, Sepulveda expressed he’s been a practicing attorney for 35 years and has never had a client complain.
Sepulveda was first elected to the New York state Assembly in 2012. He was later elected to the New York state Senate in 2018.