Former court clerk gets probation for tampering with records
Published on:
January 12, 2026
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SAUGERTIES―A former Saugerties Town Court clerk has been sentenced to probation for using her position to dismiss charges against the father of her child.
Haley Whalen, 27, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of first-degree tampering with public records, a felony charge, following her arrest by State Police in February of 2024.
In March of 2025, an Ulster County grand jury had handed up a 44-count indictment alleging that Whalen repeatedly tampered with and falsified Saugerties Town Court records in September of 2023, as well as in May and October of 2022.
Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji said that Whalen had no legal authority or permission of any judge of the court to do so.
In a statement on Monday, Nneji announced that Whalen has been sentenced to five years of supervised probation and must pay $100 in restitution to the court. She has already served eight months in jail for a driving while intoxicated conviction.
“Tampering with court records is not a victimless crime, or a small matter―it is at the heart of fairness and justice for all,” Nneji said. “This fraud upon the court and the citizens of Saugerties undermines public trust and confidence in our judicial system.”
“This corruption of official access and power for personal favors and gain must be discouraged with prosecution to preserve the public’s right to a fair process and the integrity of any court in Ulster County,” he added.
