Committee On Judicial Ethics

November 28, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Whether or not a judge may unilaterally substitute the owner/registrant for the operator of an alleged overweight vehicle is a legal question, which is beyond this Committee's jurisdiction. Similarly, whether or not any or all of the interested parties need to request or consent to the substitution is also a legal question beyond the jurisdiction of this Committee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

November 25, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Provided the judge can be fair and impartial, a judge need not disqualify from all cases involving a former opposing counsel, even though the judge had, as an attorney, criticized the opposing counsel's conduct in a letter to the tribunal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

November 23, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Although it is more efficient for a court clerk to request a "long form information" from an arresting agency to support the issuance of an arrest warrant, this is a prosecutorial task and using the court's staff and database for this purpose is ethically impermissible.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

November 22, 2021 | New York Law Journal

May a full-time judge serve on the board of directors of a local not-for-profit organization which provides educational programs to children and adults with autism?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

November 21, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Is it ethically permissible to accept and decide a "universal motion" from the District Attorney to dismiss certain specified marijuana charges, pursuant to a change in the Penal Law, "in lieu of requiring the submission of a written disposition for every arrest?"

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

November 14, 2021 | New York Law Journal

May a full-time judge serve on the board of councilors for a private law school in another state?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

November 11, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Must a sitting judge resign from both part-time judicial positions currently held on announcing candidacy for an elective non-judicial position?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

November 08, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A town justice whose spouse is the mayor of a village within the town 
is disqualified, without the possibility of remittal, in matters where the judge's spouse is expected to testify or is a named party.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

9 minute read

November 05, 2021 | New York Law Journal

The Rules Governing Judicial Conduct do not preclude two part-time lawyer judges who preside in the same court from representing two potentially adverse parties in a proceeding before a full-time judge in another court.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

November 04, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not monitor police communications on police scanners or police scanner apps for the purpose of learning who has been arrested in the judge's jurisdiction and will likely come before the judge's court, as such activity deliberately and purposefully exposes the judge to ex parte information about pending or impending cases in the judge's court, exclusively from a law enforcement perspective.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read