New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-84

A judge may speak at the League of Women Voter’s annual non-fund-raising dinner, held to elect chapter officers, concerning the procedure for amending the state constitution. The judge may accept a customary complimentary dinner as guest speaker.
2 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-83

(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.
8 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-82

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.
4 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-81

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.
2 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-80

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.
5 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-79

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.
6 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-78

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

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-77

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.
4 minute read

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-76

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

New York Law Journal

Judicial Ethics Opinion 24-75

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.
6 minute read

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