Monika Kozak

October 03, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Where a Lieutenant in the sheriff's office serves on the town board: (1) a town justice is ordinarily disqualified, subject to remittal, in matters involving the Lieutenant and any deputy sheriffs under that Lieutenant's supervision; but (2) the judge need not disqualify if he/she is satisfied that a town board resolution or other legal requirement prohibits the Lieutenant from voting or participating in deliberations on any town court matters.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 02, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may not perform as a volunteer pianist during a charitable fund-raiser.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

October 02, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge is not ethically required to investigate alleged misconduct.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

October 01, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may accept an unsolicited offer from family members and close personal friends to pay for the judge's induction ceremony, where these donors are individuals who are unlikely to come before the judge and whose appearance or interest in a case would in any event require the judge's disqualification.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

September 30, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may serve on a Department of Criminal Justice Services advisory board that will make recommendations about distributing federal funds, provided that (1) the advisory board's membership is balanced and (2) the judge's involvement is limited to reviewing and making recommendations on distributing funds to the courts, and not to law enforcement organizations.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

September 26, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A part-time judge may maintain outside employment as an investigator for the Department of Social Services, where the judge's responsibilities are limited to collecting information for applicants seeking public assistance.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

September 25, 2024 | New York Law Journal

There is no ethical rule prohibiting a successor judge from reviewing and approving a voucher for services rendered by a court-appointed attorney, merely because those services occurred while the case was pending before a predecessor judge.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

September 24, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judicial hearing officer may not voluntarily serve as a character reference or submit a letter attesting to the character of a judge undergoing a pending or impending disciplinary proceeding.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

September 23, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may serve as an adjunct professor at a law school.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

1 minute read

September 22, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Whether materials sought by the Commission on Judicial Conduct are shielded by attorney-client privilege presents a legal question beyond our jurisdiction.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read