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 (20-201) asking whether you must report certain information sent to you by a third party which alleges misconduct by local law enforcement agencies and the local district attorney’s office.  While the letter provides “fairly specific examples … of the objectionable conduct,” it does not identify specific defendants or cases pending before you.  You indicate that you have no first-hand knowledge of the alleged misconduct nor do you recognize any specific cases as pending before you.  While you believe the alleged violations, if true, appear to be “substantial,” you are unable to ascertain whether any particular attorney has violated any ethical rules or rules of professional conduct.  Under these circumstances, you ask a series of questions regarding your reporting obligations of this alleged conduct to certain persons and entities:

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