Harvard-educated judge, 59, claims he didn’t know his TikTok was public after posting ‘inappropriate’ videos from his bed and chambers singing Nas and Busta Rhymes songs – with some containing ‘sexual and racist language’

A Harvard-educated judge has claimed he was unaware his TikTok was public after posting “inappropriate” videos online.

Gary Wilcox, 59, from New Jersey, was arrested for sharing clips of him rapping songs by Nas, Busta Rhymes and Miguel while in bed or in his room.

Some of the songs contained racist, sexist and sexual language, and the Judicial Conduct Committee ruled that 11 of the 40 he shared were “inappropriate.”

But Wilcox, who used the pseudonym Sal Tortorella between March 2021 and April 2023, claimed he didn’t realize he was allowing anyone to view his content.

On Friday, he responded with a 21-page verified answer to a formal complaint filed against him by the Judicial Behavior Advisory Committee on July 1.

Disciplinary lawyer Maureen Bauman accused the judge of violating three judicial canons.

Wilcox acknowledged his behavior was questionable and “inappropriate,” but claimed it could have been avoided had someone told him his videos weren’t private.

He now faces a hearing that could lead to admonition or dismissal from the bench.

The complaint alleged that Wilcox’s decision to post the TikTok videos showed “poor judgment and disrespect for the judiciary and an inability to meet the high standards of conduct expected of judges.”

He posted up to 40 clips lip-syncing lyrics from popular rappers, such as Nas’ “Get Down,” Busta Rhymes’ “Touch It,” and Miguel’s “Sure Thing.”

The New Jersey Supreme Court building where Judge Gary Wilcox, 59, lived

Some references were made to violence, sex, misogyny and racist language. Eleven of the videos were deemed inappropriate by the Judicial Conduct Committee.

In some videos, the judge can be seen in his judicial robes. One showed him in bed, while others showed him in his rooms.

Wilcox stated in the document, “Respondent admits to using the platform, but does not consider herself an expert in using it and customizing an account.”

He continued, “He didn’t know the meaning of what ‘public’ meant in the context of TikTok.”

According to the court documents, at least 11 of Wilcox’s videos, lyrics or performance “discredited the judiciary.”

He filmed himself in some of the videos in chambers or the courthouse dressed in judicial garb or “lying in bed partially clothed.”

Pictured: Busta Rhymes and Nas at a 2006 event at the Capital in New York

Wilcox did the recordings on his personal cell phone and during his spare time, when he was not working.

He believed that “the setting made it possible to see beyond himself, including family, friends, and people trying to connect with him whom he allowed.”

“It was never his intention for the post to be seen by the general public,” but it wasn’t until later that he changed the designation for his videos to “friends only” or “followers only.”

His TikTok account is no longer active and he stated in the court document that he has no plans to renew the account.

It’s unclear exactly who filed the complaint against Wilcox, as he had few followers or if his videos had any impact prior to the July 1 complaint.

Wilcox’s attorney Robert Hille told NewJersey.com “we have no idea who filed the complaint.” He added: “We don’t think there was an underlying motive.”

Wilcox, a Bergen County criminal judge, has served as a judge on the Superior Court since 2011 and was admitted to the New Jersey bar more than three decades ago.

Regarding the charges he faces, Wilcox argued that any discipline “should be no greater than a reprimand.”