The 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 former associate justice George D. Marlow of the Appellate Division and Margaret Walsh, a Family Court judge and acting justice of the state Supreme Court.
Digest: Provided he/she can be fair and impartial, a full-time judge may preside in matters involving (1) a government agency where the judge’s former public sector colleague and current social acquaintance has a high-ranking position and (2) a public law department headed by a part-time judge. No disclosures are required in these circumstances. Judiciary Law §§16; 471; 22 NYCRR 100.2; 100.2(A); 100.2(B); 100.3(E)(1); 100.4(G); 100.5(B); 100.6(B)(1)-(4); Opinions 16-54; 15-185; 15-126; 15-45; 14-90; 12-85(B); 11-125; 09-06; 08-132; 04-121.
