Opinion

Opinion  CJE Opinion No. 2005-1

Date: 01/05/2005
Organization: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

After the Committee on Judicial Ethics issued this opinion, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court adopted a revised Code of Judicial Conduct. Because this opinion was rendered under a prior version of the Code, a judge should not rely on it without contacting the Committee on Judicial Ethics.

Contact   for CJE Opinion No. 2005-1

Committee on Judicial Ethics

Table of Contents

Using Court Stationery for Letter of Recommendation to Judicial Nominating Commission

You have asked this committee for advice on whether the Code of Judicial Conduct permits you to write a letter of recommendation on court stationery to the Judicial Nominating Commission in behalf of a candidate for a judicial position. You have satisfied yourself that it is permissible to write the letter in the circumstances -- see generally CJE Opinions 94-1 and 95-9 and Section 2 B of the Code of Judicial Conduct (effective October 1, 2003) and the related commentary -- and you seek advice only about whether you may do so on your official stationery.

The committee is of the opinion that you may write such a letter on your official stationery. No conceivable advantage would flow to you personally from use of the stationery. Moreover, it is quite likely that the position you hold is already known to the Judicial Nominating Commission or, if it is not, will be revealed either in the candidate's application or during the course of the interview process. Finally, your experience as a judge inevitably will inform the recommendation you make and, thus, is of relevance to those who are charged with the selection of candidates for judicial office.

Contact   for CJE Opinion No. 2005-1

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