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Ex-Bergen County Judge Fired From Superior Court After Abusing Power, Lying About It

The state Supreme Court has removed Passaic County Superior Court judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi after it came to light she had been interfering in a custody dispute and then lying about it, NJ.com reports.

Liliana DeAvila-Silebi

Liliana DeAvila-Silebi

Photo Credit: CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM

The order to remove DeAvila-Silebi -- formerly the presiding judge in Bergen County -- came when she chose not to fight the recommendation of a three-judge panel appointed by the court, the article says.

An investigation found that DeAvila-Silebi misused her position to try to help a former intern involved in a custody battle, calling the Fort Lee Police Department in May 2015 requesting officers retrieve the intern's child from his grandmother and bring him to the intern, NJ.com says.

DeAvila-Silebi claimed the former intern had a court order supporting her custody rights that weekend -- but she did not, NJ.com reports.

When the judge testified before the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, DeAvila-Silebi said she had gotten a call that morning from "either an attorney, a sheriff's department or the prosecutor's office or a local police department," who had read the order over the phone, the media outlet said.

That call had been placed from the former intern's cellphone number, the panel found.

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