The Committee on Judicial Ethics responds to written inquiries from New York state’s approximately 3,400 judges, who serve both full- and part-time. The committee’s opinions interpret the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (22NYCRR, Part 100) and the Code of Judicial Conduct. The committee, comprised of 26 current and retired judges and headed by former Justice George D. Marlow, also answers inquiries about proper campaign conduct from candidates for elective judicial office. The New York Law Journal publishes selected recent opinions of the committee.
Digest: A city court judge who formerly served as corporation counsel for the same city where he/she presides must disqualify him/herself in any case involving the corporation counsel’s office that arose while the judge served as corporation counsel. However, because the corporation counsel’s office did not prosecute vehicle and traffic matters, the judge need not disqualify him/herself when a police officer from the same municipality where the judge presides appears to prosecute a vehicle and traffic matter, unless the judge cannot be impartial or the corporation counsel’s office litigated a case involving the particular officer while the judge served as corporation counsel.
