Question: Is it “Judicial Misconduct” to hear a case Involving a close friend?
Answer: Yes, since a Judge must recuse themselves in such cases.
A Judge failed to recuse and instead acted to secure favorable treatment for a friend. Such actions are obvious violations of a judge’s most basic ethical duty—impartiality. And they diminish public confidence in the judiciary and erode the public’s perception of the courts as dispensers of impartial justice. These actions violated 6 provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct: • Rule 1.1, requiring judges to comply with the law; • Rule 1.2, requiring judges to avoid impropriety and act at all times in a manner promoting public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity; • Rule 1.3, prohibiting judges from abusing the prestige of judicial office to advance others’ personal or economic interests; • Rule 2.2, requiring judges to uphold and apply the law and to perform all judicial duties fairly and impartially; • Rule 2.4(B), prohibiting judges from allowing social relationships to influence the judge’s judicial conduct or judgment; and • Rule 2.11(A), requiring judges to disqualify themselves in any proceeding in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. These finding resulted in a public reprimand which is a significant blemish on a sitting judge’s reputation, adversely affecting the public’s evaluation of the judge’s performance in office.