Committee On Judicial Ethics

December 20, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) Once the justices of a town court have reported an assistant public defender to the attorney grievance committee, they must disqualify in all cases where the reported attorney personally appears. (2) With respect to pending cases where the reported attorney had previously appeared on behalf of a defendant in the town court, the judges must also disqualify, even if such cases may be reassigned to another assistant public defender.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

8 minute read

December 19, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A town justice may accept a position with the town’s highway department and “ghostwrite” a town’s state and federal grant applications for street, sidewalk, sewer, and infrastructure repairs, provided the judge does not personally solicit funds, permit the use of the prestige of judicial office for fund-raising, or permit the judge’s name to appear as the author or signatory on any grant applications.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 18, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A town justice is not disqualified in a case merely because it (i) is prosecuted by an attorney whose conditional discharge is still pending before the judge and/or (ii) involves that attorney’s law firm partners or associates.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

December 17, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge who served as guardian for a disabled sibling may retain funds remitted to him/her by a law firm handling the sibling’s social security disability matter, provided the amount (1) is reasonable and (2) does not exceed what a non-judge would receive for the same activity. If a non-judge would not have been compensated by a law firm for non-legal services rendered as a temporary guardian in the context of a social security disability claim, then the judge must return those funds to the law firm.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

December 16, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Where a judge concludes that there is a substantial likelihood that an attorney has deliberately deceived an infant client’s guardian into signing an onerous financing agreement with the attorney’s sibling, the judge must report the attorney to the appropriate grievance committee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

December 13, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A part-time judge may not serve as a “celebrity chef” for a local restaurant as part of its ongoing promotional activities.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

December 12, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge has no ethical obligation to take any action concerning another judge’s conduct where the facts do not clearly indicate a substantial likelihood that the other judge has committed a substantial violation of the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

December 11, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may use personal funds to purchase snacks or confectionaries to be placed in the jury room.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

December 10, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge whose first-degree relative is the county executive is disqualified in neglect proceedings where the county or its department of social services is a named party. Disqualification on this basis is subject to remittal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

December 09, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge need not take any action with respect to a letter from an inmate accusing correctional officers of abuse. It is within the judge’s sole discretion to report, or not report, the allegations to any authorities as the judge deems appropriate under the circumstances.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read