"The Robing Room: NY State Judges

Hon. John Leo	See Rating Details
Supreme Court
Suffolk County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 2.8 - 10 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 13 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. John Leo

Comments

Litigant

Comment #: NY13877
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge should not be seeted on any bench other than a park bench feeding birds

Litigant

Comment #: NY13875
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Dysfunctional human being. Horrible judge. Rude and screamed to parties. Does not understand or apply the law. Makes up his mind at the beginning of the case and ignores facts and law. Not qualifies to be a dog catcher, yet along a judge. Was a horrible attorney.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY13727
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Total bias from the start. Yells at the three litigants, and attorneys. Comes to his own conclusions without hearing facts. A total disgrace. Needs to retire now.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY13645
Rating:3.1

Comments:
He has a very short temper. Does not read the papers and demands oral aergument on everything. Demeans litigants and lawyers. The only positive is he is even handed in his rudeness.

Litigant

Comment #: NY13536
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Terrible judge!!! Changes his mind and does not remember what he said prior and not one single transcript for over 15 appearances and going on 4 years with not one single thing completed. Likes to waste people's time and money. Refused to court order child support and refers to his friends for audits and assessments and then no follow through. Does not care about the kids and the court appointed attorney met the kids once for 10 minutes 3 years ago and he agrees she knows what is best for them. Never looked at financials and the fact that I have to work 2 1/2 full time jobs to provide for the kids as he never ordered support so now I am being penalized for working 120 hours a week. He is a joke and should be off the bench!!! Complete misogynist, picks a side without knowing details, does not remember anything from prior appearances, just a nasty person with no morals.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY13323
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
To the ‘private’ person in Nassau county- how do you know that judge Leo is so great if all your cases are in Nassau? Lol

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY13321
Rating:8.7

Comments:
Judge Leo gets the job done. I am unsure why he has so many negative ratings, he is one of the best matrimonial judges on Long Island in my opinion. He doesn’t waste time, and doesn’t let parties linger and take advantage of the other. I wish he was my judge on a few of my Nassau cases that have been lingering before the Court for years, and getting no where while children and parents suffer.

Other

Comment #: NY13183
Rating:1.0

Comments:
You can get in touch here at bias.cases@gmail.com

Litigant

Comment #: NY12903
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Leo is a Captain Bligh in search of the Bounty. He picks a side early on, and cozies up to the side he picks, and hammers the “loser”, no matter what the facts are. He goes on tirades only marginally related to the case and invents new “off script” Decisions that are overly vague, with no consideration for the children’s ages, and the future of the children as they mature. He should be removed immediately.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY12573
Rating:4.6

Comments:
Elections have consequences

Other

Comment #: NY12508
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Misogynist, biased, dishonorable, mean, made character assassination, Shameful

Other

Comment #: NY12383
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
https://nycourts.gov/ip/judicialconduct/index.shtml

people, he is VOTED into his role. Know your rights. You can absolutely hold him accountable for what you have witnessed.

Litigant

Comment #: NY12368
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This guy is a lunatic. Doesn’t know the law, flip-flops, doesn’t care, is erratic, biased, rude, lazy, impulsive , stupid, judgmental, has a ripping case of add, and just the worst Of the the worst, he should be taken off the bench ASAP. I think he should have an evaluation by a licensed psychiatrist..

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY11341
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge has listening problems. There's no doubt his verbal ability in regards to processing what others are saying is impaired. Im certain he was inattentive on the bench. At times it seemed he was hypnotized. Which is not good. What's sad is the lawyers play these judges and certain clients pay them to do their dirty work. The kids lose out. Supreme court is a mess family court is a mess. Its a shared responsibility, but you know what, I went in with that attitude. I wanted to do what was best and I lost all custody because when I was saying nice things, my ex was taking advantage and not saying nice things. This judge allowed it. These judges need to spank some of the lawyers too. If they can't control their courtroom, then let some teachers come in and be the judge. Teachers have to have behavior plans modification to lessons etc. These judges should be held accountable for fair and equitable outcomes. Its so obvious yet some people are just that selfish.

Litigant

Comment #: NY10284
Rating:1.0

Comments:
It’s scary. He does not value the fathers role in raising children.
He told the court that he wanted to speak to the children. 6 years later!!!
He changed his mind and said he does not need to talk to the children about their relationship with the parents.
Despite guardian saying custody should be split.
Despite 100 things supporting split custody.
Now a year after his decision, I no longer have my children in my life. They have been completely alienated from me.
Plan for the inevitable. If you have judge Leo you will most likely lose any relationship that you have with your children.

Litigant

Comment #: NY10213
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Horrible. Inconsistent in his interpretation of the law, was obviously biased and never listened to the facts of the case. Had four neighbors with nothing to gain, testify that they had seen my Ex's Boyfriend move in the day after I left the house once we signed the divorce papers, yet he disregarded their testimony. He then had my Ex Wife's Boyfriend testify that everyone else was lying and incredibly, Judge Leo believed his lies even though there were photographs backing up what the neighbors said the saw. On the first court appearance he said if the boyfriend was doing yard work, bringing in the garbage, bringing home groceries etc he considered it "economic benefit" and "economic unity". At the trial he said that unless my Ex and her Boyfriend had a joint bank account or he was paying for household bills the economic portion of the cohabitation requirement would not be meet. I can go on and on with examples of his erratic behavior but all I'm doing is upsetting myself even more than I am. If you get this Judge and there is any way to get a different Judge... DO IT!!! If you're a man and think you can win your case no matter how strong it is, YOU CAN'T WIN and he will make you pay for your Ex's Legal Fees, regardless of how ridiculous the fee is. I'm so happy that I am no longer a New York State resident!

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY9909
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
My case is pending. Seems disinterested at times and depends on child's attorney who is being paid for by my ex. I will report as to his decision. He did carelessly take my son away from me for reading an email with "tone" I said the email was written that way. He said how do you know? I said because my ex talks mean to me not nice. He called the officers to cuff me and put me in the holding cell to relax "my" tone. He didn't believe " I" wasn't just angry. Horrible price to pay. Punished me by taking away my son. No due process. So embarrassed.

Other

Comment #: NY9618
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The worst Judge everrrr! Creepy little man ( Elmer Fudd). Get rid of this disgusting hack!

Litigant

Comment #: NY9356
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I knew something was wrong with this judge! After doing a search for “Judge John Leo complaints”, I came across this web site. My intuition about the lack of professionalism by this judge has been confirmed by reading the reviews here.
During my case and while waiting for my case to be heard (other matrimonial cases), I was astounded by his demeanor and overall lack of professionalism. Every time I showed up to court to appear in front of this judge, he never started on time. He was at least 30 minutes late. He often raised his voice, sometimes yelling, at attorneys and the parties involved in order to shut them down, even if they have a valid point to make. It usually seemed to be one sided.
My matrimonial case, (me being the defended) was assigned to Judge John Leo. From the start, it was obvious this judge does not know the law or is biased for whatever reason. One of the things my ex wife’s attorney asked for is half the value of a property I bought and fully paid for before we got married. In a shock to me and my attorney, Judge John Leo agreed to that. This was pre-marital property. He later reversed his decision. He must have went back, read up his first year law school books and realized how wrong he was. In addition, post divorce, my ex wife’s attorney brought a case that I owed her money, including attorney’s fees. The first time we appeared in court Judge John Leo stated that I did not owe her attorney’s fees because we were both at fault, but later on a different day when we had to come back, he changed his mind without an explanation. There is no question in my mind this judge is suffering from dementia.
This judge is a waste of tax payers’ money. He is a threat to our judicial system as this has diminished my belief that our judicial system is fair and works as it was meant to. I wish I knew how to get him off the bench. Those who helped him get there and continue to support him should have a second look and reconsider.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY9353
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge in my observations is biased. He is a screamer in court which is indicative of that something is very wrong with him. People who have to shout and yell are covering up something they know is wrong.
His surrounding world of lawyers, advocates, etc are all under his thumb if they want to continue to work.
Was Leo paid off? Probably. And this has most likely caused his lack of judgement and obscene behaviour.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY9210
Rating:1.9

Comments:
I have been practicing law for 30 years, and he easily one of the worst judges I have ever come across. He is demeaning and rude, he does not know the law and seems to have no inclination to learn it. He makes snap judgments without bothering to learn the facts. Having him in a matrimonial part is horrifying for the poor litigants assigned to his part.

Litigant

Comment #: NY9172
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge does not deserve to be on the bench. He is insane and must be suffering from dementia. He has a Captain Bligh complex, is mean and offensive to the attorneys and the parties, chooses who is right and wrong before evidence and testimony, and allows the law guardian full reign to violate all court rules, Bar Assn protocol and laws, and his own rules. Imagine your judge finishing every sentence with "on it...on it..." Imagine your judge looking down, tongue out, writing his judgment while testimony is being given. Imagine your disbelief, when the last bit of testimony is over, and the trial is coming to a close, and your judge says (and I quote) "Tada! I'm finished with my judgement. Let me read it to you..." Imagine your astonishment when the judge, in that judgment, violates all rationale, while also violating numerous statutes of matrimonial law. Welcome to Judge Leo's courtroom. If you have the choice to move to another venue, RUN, do not walk, as far and as fast as you can, away from this insane circus.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY9156
Rating:1.6

Comments:
WORST JUDGE POSSIBLE.

Other

Comment #: NY8929
Rating:1.0

Comments:
How do you get a disgrace like this off the bench? Leo is downright horrible. Like others have said, he doesn't listen, doesn't review evidence, only rules the way he wants to from the start--and behind closed doors! He is a coward who makes his living by destroying people's lives. A parasite.

Other

Comment #: NY8435
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Rude,mean and does not let people finish one sentence. Pre determine outcome of case. Took 11months to get a decision after trial. Will be filing a formal complaint

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY7688
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Leo is yet another disgrace to the Suffolk County Supreme Court matrimonial bench. Which means, unfortunately, he'll probably be here for some time to come. His judicial temperament is an embarrassment to the bench he represents. He demonstrates no interest in listening; he cuts people off mid-sentence; he makes declarations of how he intends to rule before knowing more than snippets about a case (by doing so he emboldens attorneys and their clients who take unreasonable decisions); he demonstrates little if any respect for higher court rulings. He is either unaware of, or keen on intentionally and unapologetically disregarding, the Rules of Judicial Conduct which require a judge to be patient, dignified and courteous. He neither possesses not embodies any of these qualities. As I've had to note before, the administrative judge of the matrimonial part either doesn't care what his subordinates are doing or outright condones their behavior - because yet another judge is permitted to mistreat litigants and attorneys without repercussion or consequence. All at the tax payers expense. Simply. Disgraceful.

Other

Comment #: NY7357
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Leo is just plain awful. He definitely plays favorites, makes rude comments, treated my lawyer, doctor , and myself very poorly. He is without a doubt anti women. He says one thing, doesn't make the other side responsible, than says he never said it!! Plus, he totally avoided making decisions on important issues and issues by law ,I should have been awarded in divorce case which has now forced me to go to appeal. I believe he intentionally did this. And his secretary,Gina, has played favoritism to the opposing side as well. They both should be fired!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY7121
Rating:3.1

Comments:
He took forever to make a ruling in my divorce settlement and then I ended up back in court because my exhusband violated Leo's order. Leo then questioned his own ruling and we are still in this while I pay attorney's $450 an hour to sort out Judge Leo's ruling.

Litigant

Comment #: NY7063
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This guy puts off decisions for months and months and months and then finally considers none of the solid evidence but simply makes the most commonly biased decisions in the female favor. waste of time and money dealing with him.