A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed, alleging systemic judicial misconduct and constitutional violations within the New Jersey judiciary. Amro Elkabany initiated the complaint on November 25, 2025, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Judge Louis C. Shapiro, opposing counsel Lynn Castillo, Salem County Court Staff, unnamed appellate division officers, and unnamed NJ Supreme Court officers.
The plaintiff accuses these defendants of engaging in a series of unconstitutional actions including forged evidence submission, improper ex parte communications, retaliation, denial of due process and access to courts, as well as discriminatory treatment. Elkabany claims that during court hearings opposing counsel submitted falsified documents on two occasions which were ignored by the presiding judge despite clear evidence provided by him. The complaint includes several exhibits detailing alleged misconduct such as manipulated bank statements and altered entries submitted by opposing counsel (Exhibit A), denial of access to crucial documents (Exhibit B), retaliatory judgments following misconduct complaints (Exhibit C), secret ex parte hearings (Exhibit D), and procedural violations including improper fee-waiver denials (Exhibit E).
Elkabany further asserts that his appeal efforts were systematically denied without explanation at both the Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court levels. He highlights that motions for recusal, reconsideration, correction of records among others were rejected summarily without any legal reasoning or review of presented evidence. This led to ongoing constitutional violations necessitating federal intervention.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration from the court recognizing the violation of Elkabany’s constitutional rights along with injunctive relief to prevent further retaliation or obstruction. Additionally, it calls for a federal investigation into judicial misconduct and collusion while demanding restoration and correction of all court records through a federal audit. The plaintiff also seeks compensatory and punitive damages as permitted by law.
The case is being handled pro se by Amro Elkabany himself with no listed attorneys representing either party at this stage. The case is presided over by Judge Louis C. Shapiro under Case ID 1:25-cv-17950-CPO-SAK.
Source: 125cv17950_Elkabany_v_Shapiro_Complaint_District_New_Jersey.pdf
