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
Social Media
Indiana Counties Take the Plunge
JTAC launches public online marriage license application On Friday, May 27, Monica Freeman and her fiancé Preston Holb walked into the Allen County Clerk’s Office to apply for a marriage license. But it wasn't business as usual, because the Clerk’s staff didn’t ask for their dates of birth, where they were born, or even their mothers’ maiden names. Have Indiana’s requirements to obtain a marriage license changed? No … [Read more...] about Indiana Counties Take the Plunge
Ethical Considerations of Using Social Networking Sites
During the course of their professional lives, judges often have ethical questions about the application of the Code of Judicial Conduct to particular situations. Should a judge disqualify from a particular case? May a judge attend and participate in a specific fundraiser? What should a judge do about an ex parte communication that the judge just received? As Counsel to the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qua … [Read more...] about Ethical Considerations of Using Social Networking Sites
Social Media and the Employer
What is social media and why should a judge care about it as an employer? The term “social media” refers to the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Much of the time it is purely social, but it can also be used to establish business connections, make sales, and share community concerns. Social media takes many different forms, including text, i … [Read more...] about Social Media and the Employer


