Opinion 70
(This Opinion discusses a prior version of the Canons of Judicial Conduct; the most comparable current rule is 2-3.7 Participation in Educational, Religious, Charitable, Fraternal or Civic Organizations and Activities, Subdivisions (A)(4) & (5).)
Issue:
May an Associate Circuit Judge serve as master of ceremonies during a Junior Miss contest sponsored by the local Jaycees? Contestants are judged according to scholarship, personality, and physical fitness. The competition is not a fund-raising event. As master of ceremonies the judge would introduce the contestants, interview them, announce the events, and name and winners.
Discussion:
Supreme Court Rule 2, Canon 5B states:
It is the Commission’s Opinion that the judge may serve as master of ceremonies for this event providing the Jaycees organization is not likely to appear in his court in an adversary proceeding and providing that the judge does not in any way participate or lend the prestige of his office to the solicitation of funds. Since the Jaycees Junior Miss contest is not a money making venture and is intended to be a community service, the judge may participate in the event as master of ceremonies.
(Dated: October 23, 1981)
COMMISSION ON RETIREMENT, REMOVAL AND DISCIPLINE
OPINION 70
Issue:
May an Associate Circuit Judge serve as master of ceremonies during a Junior Miss contest sponsored by the local Jaycees? Contestants are judged according to scholarship, personality, and physical fitness. The competition is not a fund-raising event. As master of ceremonies the judge would introduce the contestants, interview them, announce the events, and name and winners.
Discussion:
Supreme Court Rule 2, Canon 5B states:
B. Civic and Charitable Activities. A judge may participate in civic and charitable activities that do not reflect adversely upon his impartiality or interfere with the performance of his judicial duties. A judge may serve as an officer, director, trustee, or non-legal advisor of an educational, religious, charitable, fraternal, or civic organization not conducted for the economic or political advantage of its members, subject to the following limitations:
(1) A judge should not serve if it is likely that the organization will be engaged in proceedings that would ordinarily come before him or will be regularly engaged in adversary proceedings in any court.
(2) A judge should not solicit fund for any educational, religious, charitable, fraternal, or civic organizations, or use or permit the use of the prestige of his office for that purpose, but he may be listed as an officer, director, or trustee of such an organization. He should not be a speaker or the guest of honor at an organization’s fund raising events, but he may attend such events.
(2) A judge should not solicit fund for any educational, religious, charitable, fraternal, or civic organizations, or use or permit the use of the prestige of his office for that purpose, but he may be listed as an officer, director, or trustee of such an organization. He should not be a speaker or the guest of honor at an organization’s fund raising events, but he may attend such events.
It is the Commission’s Opinion that the judge may serve as master of ceremonies for this event providing the Jaycees organization is not likely to appear in his court in an adversary proceeding and providing that the judge does not in any way participate or lend the prestige of his office to the solicitation of funds. Since the Jaycees Junior Miss contest is not a money making venture and is intended to be a community service, the judge may participate in the event as master of ceremonies.
(Dated: October 23, 1981)