N.Y. Judiciary Law § 14: Disqualification of judge by reason of interest or consanguinity

§ 14. Disqualification of judge by reason of interest or

consanguinity. A judge shall not sit as such in, or take any part in

the decision of, an action, claim, matter, motion or proceeding to which

he is a party, or in which he has been attorney or counsel, or in which

he is interested, or if he is related by consanguinity or affinity to

any party to the controversy within the sixth degree. The degree shall

be ascertained by ascending from the judge to the common ancestor,

descending to the party, counting a degree for each person in both

lines, including the judge and party, and excluding the common ancestor.

But no judge of a court of record shall be disqualified in any action,

claim, matter, motion or proceeding in which an insurance company is a

party or is interested by reason of his being a policy holder therein.

No judge shall be deemed disqualified from passing upon any litigation

before him because of his ownership of shares of stock or other

securities of a corporate litigant, provided that the parties, by their

attorneys, in writing, or in open court upon the record, waive any claim

as to disqualification of the judge.