Committee On Judicial Ethics

July 31, 2024 | New York Law Journal

1) A part-time judge who is a private investigator (a) may conduct surveillance and write reports for school districts in another county concerning extended sick leave employees, but (b) may not conduct investigations for a college regarding allegations of sexual harassment/assault. (2) A part-time judge may, as an instructor for a private company, present training to law enforcement regarding implicit bias and other types of biases.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 30, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not participate as a panelist in a bar association's Continuing Legal Education program about a recently settled civil action in which the judge presided, together with attorneys who appeared in the case, unless: (1) the time for appeals has expired; (2) no collateral proceedings are reasonably foreseeable; and (3) the panel includes attorneys from both the plaintiff's side and the defense side.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

July 29, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) A judicial candidate may use the ActBlue online payment system to purchase tickets to attend a variety of political fund-raising events within the applicable window period, subject to the usual limitations on price and number of tickets for each event. (2) The candidate must exercise caution to avoid adding an optional tip or agreeing to make a recurring payment, and should carefully review the online payment screen for any note or indication that a portion of their payment will be sent to additional recipients or used for a purpose other than the political event for which the candidate intends to purchase tickets.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 28, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time court attorney-referee would like to return to the practice of law after retiring from the Unified Court System and asks if there are any judicial ethics impediments to doing so. The referee also asks about appearing before certain judges and receiving court appointments.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

July 25, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time court attorney-referee asks if it is ethically permissible to purchase a home at a court-conducted auction or in an online auction, in a county different from the one where the referee works.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

July 24, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A part-time judge who serves as part-time counsel to a county legislature, representing the entire legislative body, may not ordinarily attend or participate in any caucus meetings. However, the judge may enter such meetings on an issue-by-issue basis to provide a legal opinion on a legal or procedural issue, provided the judge's activities are clearly identifiable as those of an attorney representing a client and not as partisan political activity.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 23, 2024 | New York Law Journal

The Chief Judge may, as the chief judicial officer of the Unified Court System, represent the judiciary's interests by accepting an invitation to speak at a legislative conference sponsored by a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity, at a specific session focused on the judiciary's operational needs and/or experience with respect to developing technologies. The judge may not otherwise attend or participate in the legislative conference.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 22, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not stand for election to or serve on a local school board notwithstanding their child's attendance at a local public high school. The judge may attend and participate in school board meetings as the parent of a current student.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

July 21, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge who assumes judicial office on an apparently unequivocal campaign pledge to incarcerate offenders, exclude drug dealers from the community, ensure maximum sentencing of repeat offenders, and protect victims of domestic violence, thus effectively promising to aid law enforcement rather than apply the law neutrally and impartially in such matters, is disqualified during his/her entire judicial term from: (1) all criminal cases; (2) cases in any court involving allegations of domestic violence; (3) all Vehicle and Traffic Law matters; and (4) cases in any court involving purported drug dealers. Disqualification on this ground is not subject to remittal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

July 18, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A part-time attorney judge need not disclose or disqualify in matters involving the sheriff's office, merely because the judge's law firm is representing first-degree relatives of the county sheriff in a personal legal matter.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read