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A town judge in Oneida County has resigned from his position following an investigation into allegations that he drove with a suspended license and improperly used his judicial title during encounters with police.
Daniel L. Furney, who served as a justice in the Lee Town Court since 2010, stepped down effective January 30, 2026, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. His current term would have expired on December 31, 2029.
The Commission began investigating Furney in November 2025 after receiving complaints that he had operated a vehicle with a suspended license and "gratuitously invoked his judicial office" during two separate incidents with state troopers — once during a traffic stop and once in a parking lot.
"Judges are obliged to promote public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and therefore must respect and comply with the law and avoid trading on the judicial title," Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said in a statement. "Driving a car despite a suspended license, and gratuitously referring to one's judgeship during encounters with police, is plainly inconsistent with those standards."
Furney was scheduled to testify before the Commission on Tuesday (February 3) but instead chose to resign and signed an agreement on January 28 pledging never to seek or accept judicial office again in the future. This agreement effectively ended the Commission's investigation.
The now-former judge, who is not an attorney, earned $14,230 in his judicial role in 2025, according to public payroll records. Furney was represented by attorney Robert F. Julian during the proceedings.
Attempts to reach Furney for comment have been unsuccessful.