The Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics responds to written inquiries from New York state's approximately 3,600 judges and justices, as well as hundreds of judicial hearing officers, support magistrates, court attorney-referees, and judicial candidates (both judges and non-judges seeking election to judicial office). The committee interprets the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (22 NYCRR Part 100) and, to the extent applicable, the Code of Judicial Conduct. The committee consists of 27 current and retired judges, and is co-chaired by the Honorable Margaret Walsh, a justice of the supreme court, and the Honorable Lillian Wan, a court of claims judge and acting supreme court justice.

This responds to your inquiry (20-189) asking whether it is legally and ethically permissible for you to continue serving as a town-court justice if your first-degree relative runs for and is elected to the co-judge position in the same court.

While the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct prohibit a judge from appointing or voting for the appointment of any person within the fourth degree of relationship as a member of the court of which the judge is also member (see 22 NYCRR 100.3[C][3]), there is no ethical impropriety in continuing to serve if your first-degree relative is elected co-judge to the same court.