Former judge’s law license suspended for fraud

Former chief Jersey City Municipal Judge Wanda Molina’s license to practice law has been suspended for six months by the state Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Ethics for “fixing” tickets for her “significant other.”

Her license was suspended for “commission of a criminal act that reflects adversely on the attorney’s honesty, trustworthiness of fitness as a lawyer” and for “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation,” according to the disciplinary order.

In June 2010, Molina, 54, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to tampering with public records or information, a third-degree offense, and falsifying records, a fourth-degree offense, before Superior Court Judge Harry G. Carroll in Bergen County. In August of that year, Carroll sentenced her to three years’ probation.

At her plea hearing, Molina admitted that between October 30, 2006 and April 2, 2007, she took judicial action to dismiss eight parking tickets that were issued to a close personal companion.

Molina resigned from her judgeship on September 21, 2007. As part of her sentence, she has been permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey.

The Office of Attorney Ethics also ordered that the entire record of the disciplinary proceedings be made a permanent part off Molina’s file as an attorney at law in New Jersey.

Finally, Molina has been ordered to reimburse the Disciplinary Oversight Committee for the administrative costs and expenses incurred in the prosecution of her discipline.