Monika Kozak

November 07, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge is not disqualified from presiding in matters involving a large, regulated utility, merely because the company employs the judge's court attorney's spouse as a supervisory attorney in a specialized division.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

November 06, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not accept a leadership position with an Exploring Post that is to be administered and mentored by the local sheriff's office.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

November 05, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may permit their principal court attorney to serve on a town zoning board of appeals. Where the position is a compensated one, the judge should direct the court attorney to seek guidance from the Nonjudicial Ethics Helpline.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

November 04, 2024 | New York Law Journal

An appellate judge may not speak at a victim impact panel in a county within the judge's jurisdiction.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

November 03, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge who was a supervising assistant district attorney while the district attorney's office investigated allegations of professional misconduct by an attorney colleague, but who was not involved in investigating or referring the attorney for discipline, is not disqualified from matters in which the attorney appears unless the judge believes he/she cannot be fair and impartial in those cases.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

October 31, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A town justice may permit a town employee, who is paid out of both the judicial budget and the town budget and is expressly subject to the town justice's supervision and control, to transport court funds to the bank for deposit, notwithstanding that the employee is also tasked with depositing other town funds into other bank accounts.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 30, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge presiding in a drug treatment court may engage in ex parte communications with the court's resource coordinator. If the content involves outside information obtained from a non-court source, then notice should be given to the defense attorney. Otherwise there is no need to disclose the content of those communications to court participants.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 29, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Opinion 24-48 A part-time judge may serve (1) as an officer and director of a local cooperative extension association, provided the association does not operate any programs to which the court may make referrals; (2) on a not-for-profit endowment advisory committee which awards grants to a variety of not-for-profit community groups.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

8 minute read

October 28, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A county magistrates association may honor a county court judge and a sheriff's department captain by presenting them with plaques and dinner certificates in recognition of their service to the association.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

October 27, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) Subject to generally applicable limitations, a judge may attend meetings of not-for-profit civic or charitable organizations to discuss the judge's experience on the bench and may invite attendees to observe the court in session. (2) A judge who is not a candidate for election or re-election to judicial office within the applicable window period may not purchase media advertisements for the judge's upcoming speaking engagements. (3) A judge may not record a public service announcement for a local radio station about a plea-by-mail program for parking tickets in the judge's court.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

9 minute read