Committee On Judicial Ethics

January 08, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) For two years after the representation is completely terminated and all fees are paid, a judge is disqualified, subject to remittal, from all matters in which an attorney who personally represented the judge appears before the judge, and the judge must disclose the former representation when other attorneys from the same law firm appear before the judge.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

January 07, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judicial candidate may appear in joint campaign advertisements only with candidates who make up the slate of which the judicial candidate is a part. Candidates are on the same slate if they (a) have been endorsed by the same political party and/or (b) will appear on the same political party's ballot line.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

January 04, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A part-time town justice may serve as a Nurse Clinic Manager for a county correctional facility in the same county, but must disqualify from any matter involving an inmate for whom the judge personally reviewed the inmate's medical file or otherwise personally participated in the inmate's care, either directly or as a supervisor.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

January 03, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge need not take any further action after being inadvertently exposed to a list of campaign contributors and should not investigate whether a prospective appointee was a campaign contributor.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

January 02, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge is not disqualified from presiding over an Article 78 proceeding to compel a police department to disclose certain disciplinary records merely because the judge's spouse, now fully retired, was formerly a high-ranking police official in another county.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 26, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A quasi-judicial official whose significant other is a businessperson may take part in gifts and benefits provided by various businesses as their significant other's guest, where (1) the significant other and the business donors do not have, and are unlikely to have in the future, interests that are likely to come before the referee and (2) the receipt of such gifts would not create the impression that such businesses are in a special position to influence the referee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 25, 2023 | New York Law Journal

May a town justice, whose spouse is employed by a local not-for-profit parochial school, display in front of the judge's home a sign advertising the name of the school, grade levels and a phone number?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

December 21, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Where a judge concludes that an attorney disregarded a court directive and engaged in a deliberate deception, intended to perpetrate a fraud and deceive the parties and/or the court, the judge must report the attorney to the appropriate grievance committee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 20, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A magistrates association may send a letter to the District Attorney outlining the association's concerns about the District Attorney's policy concerning appearances and plea bargaining in vehicle and traffic law matters.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 19, 2023 | New York Law Journal

May a town justice contact the District Attorney and the town to point out their concerns that the town's code enforcement proceedings do not comply with the law, when no code enforcement cases are before the judge? If the same deficiencies appear the next time a code enforcement action comes before the judge, may the judge dismiss the action without a motion from the defendant?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read