A recent conduct complaint against a Philadelphia judge highlights a gray area in judicial ethics surrounding social media.

The Judicial Conduct Board on Feb. 24 announced it filed formal charges against Judge Mark Cohen of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas over allegedly improper posts he made to his personal Facebook page. Those posts, the board contended, were politically charged and created the appearance of impropriety.

Judge Mark Cohen Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Cohen. Courtesy photo