Ala. Canons of Jud. Ethics Canon 2

History

[Amended 5-7-80; Amended 8-25-2004.] Commentary to Canon 2 as Amended Effective July 1, 2019 Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. Judges must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny. They must, therefore, accept restrictions on their conduct that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should do so freely and willingly. The testimony of a judge as a character witness injects the prestige of judicial office into the proceeding in which the judge testifies and may be misunderstood to be an official testimonial. This Canon, however, does not exempt a judge from testifying if the judge is officially summoned. This Canon does not per se prohibit a judge from writing a letter of recommendation disclosing personal information of someone’s experience, character, or ability. Such a letter, however, should not be written if the recipient is engaged in litigation before the judge or it is likely that the recipient will be engaged in proceedings that would ordinarily come before the court. This Canon is not intended to proscribe or punish any public comment by a judge unless such public comment is impermissible under Canon 3.A(6). [Commentary amended 7-1-2019] Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending Canon 2.C., Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics, effective August 25, 2004, is published in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from 879 So.2d. Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending the Commentary to Canon 1, the Commentary to Canon 2, Canon 3.A(6), and the Commentary to Cannon 3.A(6), Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics, effective July 1, 2019, is published in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from __ So. 3d.