The Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics responds to written inquiries from New York state’s approximately 3,600 judges and justices, as well as hundreds of judicial hearing officers, support magistrates, court attorney-referees, and judicial candidates (both judges and non-judges seeking election to judicial office). The committee interprets the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (22 NYCRR Part 100) and, to the extent applicable, the Code of Judicial Conduct. The committee consists of 27 current and retired judges, and is co-chaired by the Honorable Margaret Walsh, a justice of the supreme court in Albany County, and the Honorable Lillian Wan, an associate justice of the appellate division, second department.
Digest: A support magistrate who previously served as the supervising attorney at the Department of Social Services may handle child support cases filed after the magistrate’s departure from the agency, provided there is no substantial connection between the circumstances underlying the prior proceeding and the facts and legal issues presently before the magistrate. If such connection exists, disclosure or disqualification is required.
