Marcus Alan McGhee, Staff Attorney | Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications Judges and judicial candidates must, to the greatest extent possible, be free and appear to be free from political influence and partisan interests. See Ind. Code of Jud. Cond., Canon 4, General Consideration. This can be an arduous task as judicial candidates merge into the steady stream of political campaigns going on around them. … [Read more...] about Money, Power & Respect: A Candidate’s Guide to Judicial Campaigns
Ethics
From Courtroom to Boardroom
Exploring the limitations of a judge sitting on an organization’s board of directors By Marcus Alan McGhee, Staff Attorney | Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications Judges serving as members of a for-profit organization’s leadership has been problematic since Kenesaw Mountain Landis-the U.S. District Court Judge who was also Major League Baseball’s first Commissioner. The concern, then as it is now, is that jud … [Read more...] about From Courtroom to Boardroom
In the Right Direction
Lawyers ask for ethics guidance G. Michael Witte, Executive Director | Disciplinary Commission In April 2018, the Disciplinary Commission began providing Indiana lawyers informal ethics guidance and formal advisory opinions. Informal guidance allows a lawyer to confidentially submit an ethical conduct question. The process is known as a pointer system: the Commission points the lawyer to applicable rules, official … [Read more...] about In the Right Direction
Avoiding the Ex Parte Trap
By Adrienne Meiring, Counsel | Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications Juror communications can present interesting challenges for trial court judges. As court outsiders, jurors understandably have questions and concerns that arise during trial and look to the judge for answers. Judges bear tremendous responsibility at these times to preserve a defendant’s constitutional rights and to avoid the appearance of … [Read more...] about Avoiding the Ex Parte Trap
Following your Friends to a Faulty Connection
By Marcus Alan McGhee | Staff Attorney, Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications A Snapshot of New Social Media Challenges Judiciaries across the nation appear to have received the message from judicial conduct commissions regarding vitriolic posts on social media platforms. Such commentary has been condemned as indecorous and lacking the unbiased impartiality required from the bench. However, as judicial … [Read more...] about Following your Friends to a Faulty Connection