Monika Kozak

April 25, 2024 | New York Law Journal

May a part-time judge serve as special counsel for the County Attorney's office, a position which includes no criminal prosecutorial duties and which would be insulated from all matters involving the district attorney, public defender, conflict defender, and county sheriff in the judge's own county? Must the judge seek advance written approval for dual employment pursuant to 22 NYCRR 50.3?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

April 24, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not accept an award prominently sponsored by a commercial entity, even where the award is unannounced and ancillary to a fund-raising event for a not-for-profit organization. However, nothing in the rules precludes the judge from attending the underlying fund-raiser.

By Committee on Judicial Ethic

4 minute read

April 23, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) A judge who previously served as General Counsel to the District Attorney is disqualified from presiding over any matter that the judge knows he/she was personally involved in or supervised in any way as an attorney, even minimally.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

11 minute read

April 22, 2024 | New York Law Journal

May a full-time judge participate as a presenter or panel member at a public high school's Global Citizenship Day, a non-fundraising event?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

April 21, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may be honored at a non-fund-raising event held by a not-for-profit organization, even where the entity will recognize the judge for prior assistance in fund-raising before the judge assumed judicial office.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

April 18, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A Surrogate's Court judge is not required to remove a Public Administrator who has served for many years if an associate in the Public Administrator's law firm marries the child of a New York State judge.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

April 17, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) A town justice may not grant permission to the town court clerks to use the town court's courtroom to film for-profit training videos. (2) Whether some other person or entity may grant such permission raises legal and administrative questions we cannot answer.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

April 16, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Where a not-for-profit entity engages in some activities clearly permissible for judges as well as some potentially controversial lobbying, advocacy and litigation activities, a judge may not participate in a voter registration drive organized by that entity.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

April 15, 2024 | New York Law Journal

May a full-time judge (1) help distribute previously donated books for free to the public at community events, provided the judge does not personally participate in any book drives or other solicitations; and (2) volunteer to read the judge's own published books to children at a not-for profit "mobile bookstore"?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

April 14, 2024 | New York Law Journal

May a full-time judge invest in a cannabis company which has an active state license to operate a retail dispensary in New York? May the judge's spouse and other relatives, who are neither judges nor employees of the Unified Court System, invest in, consult for, or be employed by a cannabis company?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read