New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Ex-Parte communication Social media – First-degree relative Opinion 17-53 Background: A full-time judge recently presided over two related juvenile delinquency cases involving two respondents and sentenced them to two years’ probation. Thereafter, ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Board of directors: Opinion 17-39
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Board of directors Non-profit, Non-partisan research organization Opinion 17-39 Background: A full-time judge asked if he may serve on the board of directors for the Council of State Governments Justice Center. It ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Case on appeal: Opinion 17-61
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Case on appeal Correcting transcription error Opinion 17-61 Background: A criminal defendant appealed his conviction based, in part, on the trial judge’s purported misstatement of the applicable legal standard during voir dire ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Public remarks: Opinion 17-54
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Public remarks Criticizing public officials Opinion 17-54 Background: A full-time trial judge asks if he may, at a court-sponsored Law Day event, address comments made by public officials, particularly the sitting president ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Arraignments: Opinion 17-104
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Arraignments Off-hours – Constitutional mandate Opinion 17-104 Background: The inquiring judge asks if it is ethically permissible for him to hold off-hours arraignments in a publicly accessible area of a county jail ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Co-judge’s law partner: Opinion 17-86
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Co-judge’s law partner – Assisting pro se litigant’s filing submission Opinion 17-86 Background: The inquiring full-time judge presides in a city court, along with a part-time co-judge who maintains a private law ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Lecturing on area of law: Opinion 17-83
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Lecturing on area of law Non-political issue – Open to the public Opinion 17-83 Background: The inquiring judge asks whether it is ethically permissible to speak on the development of a particular ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Judge as estate administrator: Opinion 17-82
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Judge as estate administrator First-degree relative – Real property closing Opinion 17-82 Background: A full-time judge’s parent died intestate, leaving the judge and his siblings as the sole beneficiaries of a simple ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Town justice: Opinion 17-81
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Town justice Lecture on civil enforcement – Sheriff’s association Opinion 17-81 Background: The inquiring judge asked whether it is ethically permissible as a town justice to give, in his capacity as an ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Running for political office: Opinion 17-79
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Running for political office First-degree relative – Family photograph Opinion 17-79 Background: An appellate judge, whose first-degree relative is running for election to public office, asks if he may be included in ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Third-degree relative: Opinion 17-77
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Third-degree relative Parole board – Housing resource – Parole board’s procedures Opinion 17-77 Background: The inquiring judge’s third-degree relative is currently incarcerated upon conviction of a felony. The relative is preparing a ...
Read More »NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Solicitation of funds: Opinion 17-59
New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics Solicitation of funds Fund-raising event – Erroneous invitation letter Opinion 17-59 Background: The inquiring judge’s college alma mater asked him to serve as an honorary co-chair of a fund-raising event. The judge ...
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