NY judge — a registered Democrat — forced from bench after posting MAGA message with noose photo on Facebook

A New York judge resigned from the bench after stirring controversy with a Facebook post that "conveyed racial and/or political bias."

The judge, who shared the post in early 2018, was the subject of a formal complaint in May. He resigned in June.

What are the details?

Judge Kyle R. Canning, 29, shared the post, which featured a noose along with the text, "If we want to make America great again we will have to make evil people fear punishment again."

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct said that Canning — a part-time judge in Altona, New York, who took office in 2018 — exercised poor judgment in sharing the post, which was public.

"The noose is an incendiary image with repugnant racial connotations," Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian said in a statement. "It is the very antithesis of law and justice. For a judge to use the image of the noose in making a political point undermines the integrity of the judiciary and public confidence in the courts."

After his resignation, which came in June, Canning agreed to never "seek or accept judicial office" in the future.

According to the Washington Post, Canning felt "coerced into resigning."

"They have presented me with several different options in resolving what they claim to be a serious offense," he said. "I feel as though, due to my current financial situation and obligations to my family, I am being coerced into resigning."

What else?

In an apology, Canning said, "It has been a pleasure serving this town as one of its justices, and I will greatly miss my duties. l do formally apologize for the inconvenience and hardship that I have imposed on my co-justice and the Town of Altona."

Canning told the New York Times that his post wasn't racist, and that he believed the post to be a political statement on the death penalty. He also pointed out that he is a registered Democratic voter, and that he does not support President Donald Trump.