Case Title: In Re the Florida Bar-Code of Judicial Conduct

Citation: 281 So. 2d 21

Docket Number: 

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1973-07-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
281 So. 2d 21 (1973)
In re THE FLORIDA BAR  CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT.
No. 43707.

Supreme Court of Florida.
July 25, 1973.
Wm. Reece Smith, Jr., Tampa, and John M. McCarty, Fort Pierce, for The Florida Bar.
PER CURIAM.
We have for consideration the petition of The Florida Bar seeking the adoption of a Code of Judicial Conduct in lieu of the existing Canons of Judicial Ethics which were adopted by this Court on January 27, 1941, and subsequently amended. By our order of December 21, 1970, "In Re: Petition of the Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct, we directed that a special committee submit a report containing its recommendations for the adoption of new canons of judicial ethics in accordance with a more modern and realistic concept of the responsibilities of judicial officers." This special committee was composed of the following members:
Their work product has been approved by the County Judges Conference, the Circuit Judges Conference, the District Courts of Appeal Judges Conference and Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. They are to be commended for their exhaustive study and diligent efforts.
The proposed Code requires that many incumbent justices and judges be required to rearrange their financial and business interests. We feel that to require an immediate compliance with the Code, in this respect, would cause great financial hardship and we have, therefore, allowed the incumbent justices and judges a period of two years within which to bring themselves in strict compliance with Canon 5.
Many lawyers have become members of the judiciary at great financial sacrifice. Because of the limitations placed on business activities by the Code of Judicial Conduct and because of the limited salaries and retirement benefits, as well as the uncertainty of judicial tenure under present electoral process, a retired justice or judge who does not desire to accept assignment for judicial service shall be allowed to engage in the practice of law even though he may be drawing retirement benefits. We are of the opinion that this would be an incentive for lawyers of ability to seek judicial office.
The retirement benefits for all justices and judges are prescribed either under the Florida Retirement System (Fla. Stat., Ch. 121, F.S.A.) or the Supreme Court Justices, District Court of Appeal Judges and Circuit Judges Retirement System (Fla. Stat., Ch. 123, F.S.A.). We are aware of the provisions of Fla. Stat. § 123.09, F.S.A., providing as follows:
and Fla. Stat. § 123.20, F.S.A., relating to retirement for disability and providing as follows:
The Florida Retirement System (Fla. Stat., Ch. 121, F.S.A.), does not prohibit a retired justice or judge from engaging in the practice of law. Even under the quoted *22 provisions of Fla. Stat., Ch. 123, F.S.A. (judicial retirement), a justice or judge would be entitled to engage in the practice of law without drawing his retirement. Such a justice or judge could subsequently offer himself for judicial assignment and renew the payment of his retirement benefits. It is apparent that the purpose of the statutes quoted above was to prohibit a retired judge subject to assignment from engaging in the practice of law, as this might create a conflict of interest in the event he served part time on the judiciary. This would be contrary to the philosophy that a practicing attorney should never be a part-time judge. The purpose of the quoted statutes was to regulate the practice of law as well as the conduct of judges. These are matters solely within the province of this Court under the provisions of Fla. Const., art. V, § 15, F.S.A. We therefore hold that Fla. Stat. §§ 123.09 and 123.20, F.S.A., are unconstitutional.
Other retirees under Chapter 121 (Florida Retirement System) are allowed to receive retirement benefits while employed at other occupations. See Fla. Stat., § 121.091, F.S.A. It would be a denial of equal protection to say that all retirees, except justices and judges, may engage in other professions or employment without losing retirement benefits.
The fact that this is not an adversary proceeding does not prohibit the Court from declaring the above statutes unconstitutional. See In Re: Advisory Opinion to the Governor, 63 So. 2d 321 (Fla. 1953), where this Court in an advisory opinion (a non-adversary proceeding under the Constitution and Rules at that time) declared a statute to be unconstitutional.
The autonomy of the Legislature in the field of retirement is tempered by the vested rights of those employees who have contributed to the fund. A retired justice or judge, who rejects the possibility of assignment to judicial service, may embark on any other career he may choose without sacrificing his vested right to compensation under our retirement laws.
These are the only major additions to the Code of Judicial Conduct as submitted by The Florida Bar, although a few minor changes are made.
We point out that Canon 6 requires the manner and method of filing financial reports. A compliance with Canon 6 supersedes the requirements of any statute relating to financial reporting and it will not be necessary for the justices and judges to file reports under any statute since such reports are filed under Canon 6.
The appended Code of Judicial Conduct is hereby adopted in lieu of the existing Canons of Judicial Ethics and shall govern the conduct of all justices and judges effective September 30, 1973.
CARLTON, C.J., and ROBERTS, ERVIN, ADKINS, BOYD, McCAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur.
Some fifty years ago the American Bar Association formulated the original Canons of Judicial Ethics. Those Canons, occasionally amended, have been adopted in most states, including Florida.
Recognizing that current needs and problems required revisions, the American Bar Association has now adopted and proposed to the states and other jurisdictions, including the federal courts, a Code of Judicial Conduct. In the revision process, the Association sought and considered the views of the Bench and Bar and other interested persons.
*23 This Code, with minor modifications to adapt it to our Florida Judicial System, is adopted by the Supreme Court of Florida to supersede the Canons of Judicial Ethics. The Code, consisting of statements of norms denominated canons, and the accompanying text setting forth specific rules, states the standards that judges should observe, and these are mandatory unless otherwise indicated. The commentary is included for purposes of construction and understanding. Under Section 17A, Article V of the Florida Constitution, the Judicial Qualifications Commission is charged with the responsibility of enforcing these standards.
An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society. A judge should participate in establishing, maintaining, and enforcing, and should himself observe, high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved. The provisions of this Code should be construed and applied to further that objective.
A. A judge should respect and comply with the law and should conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
*24 B. A judge should not allow his family, social, or other relationships to influence his judicial conduct or judgment. He should not lend the prestige of his office to advance the private interests of others; nor should he convey or permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence him. He should not testify voluntarily as a character witness.
The judicial duties of a judge take precedence over all his other activities. His judicial duties include all the duties of his office prescribed by law. In the performance of these duties, the following standards apply:
A judge disqualified by the terms of Canon 3C(1)(c) or Canon 3C(1)(d) may, instead of withdrawing from the proceeding, disclose on the record the basis of his disqualification. If, based on such disclosure, the parties and lawyers, independently of the judge's participation, all agree in writing that the judge's relationship is immaterial or that his financial interest is insubstantial, the judge is no longer disqualified, and may participate in the proceeding. The agreement, signed by all parties and lawyers, shall be incorporated in the record of the proceeding.
A judge, subject to the proper performance of his judicial duties, may engage in the following quasi-judicial activities, if in doing so he does not cast doubt on his capacity to decide impartially any issue that may come before him:
A. He may speak, write, lecture, teach, and participate in other activities concerning the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice.
B. He may appear at a public hearing before an executive or legislative body or official on matters concerning the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice, and he may otherwise consult with an executive or legislative body or official, but only on matters concerning the administration of justice.
C. He may serve as a member, officer, or director of an organization or governmental agency devoted to the improvement of the law, the legal system, or the administration of justice. He may assist such an organization in raising funds and may participate in their management and investment, but should not personally participate in public fund raising activities. He may make recommendations to public and private fund-granting agencies on projects and programs concerning the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice.
A judge may write, lecture, teach, and speak on non-legal subjects, and engage in the arts, sports, and other social and recreational activities, if such avocational activities *28 do not detract from the dignity of his office or interfere with the performance of his judicial duties.
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:
(2) A judge holding an office filled by public election between competing candidates, or a candidate for such office, may, only insofar as permitted by law, attend political gatherings and speak to such gatherings on his own behalf when he is a candidate for election or re-election.
(3) A judge should resign his office when he becomes a candidate either in a party primary or in a general election for a non-judicial office, except that he may continue to hold his judicial office while being a candidate for election to or serving as a delegate in a state constitutional convention, if he is otherwise permitted by law to do so.
(4) A judge should not engage in any other political activity except on behalf of measures to improve the law, the legal system, or the administration of justice.
(1) A candidate, including an incumbent judge, for a judicial office that is filled either by public election between competing candidates or on the basis of a merit system election:
(2) A candidate, including an incumbent judge, for a judicial office that is filled by public election between competing candidates should not himself solicit campaign funds, or solicit attorneys for publicly stated support, but he may establish committees of responsible persons to secure and manage the expenditure of funds for his campaign and to obtain public statements of support for his candidacy. Such committees are not prohibited from soliciting campaign contributions and public support from any person or corporation authorized by law. A candidate's committees may solicit funds for his campaign only within the time limitation provided by law. A candidate should not use or permit the use of campaign contributions for the private benefit of himself or members of his family.
(3) An incumbent judge who is a candidate for retention in or re-election to office without a competing candidate, and whose candidacy has drawn active opposition, may campaign in response thereto and may obtain publicly stated support and campaign funds in the manner provided in subsection B(2).
Anyone, whether or not a lawyer, who is an officer of a judicial system performing judicial functions, including an officer such as a referee in bankruptcy, special master, court commissioner, or magistrate, is a judge for the purpose of this Code. All judges should comply with this Code except as provided below.
A part-time judge is a judge who serves on a continuing or periodic basis, but is permitted by law to devote time to some other profession or occupation and whose compensation for that reason is less than *33 that of a full-time judge. A part-time judge:
A judge pro tempore is a person who is appointed to act temporarily as a judge.
A retired judge who receives the same compensation as a full-time judge on the court from which he retired and is eligible for recall to judicial service should comply with all the provisions of this Code except Canons 5D, 5G, and 6, but he should refrain from judicial service during the period of an extra-judicial appointment not sanctioned by Canon 5G. All other retired judges eligible for recall to judicial service should comply with the provisions of this Code governing part-time judges.
If a retired justice or judge shall file with the Clerk of the Supreme Court a statement that he does not desire to be assigned to judicial service, such justice or judge who is a member of The Florida Bar may engage in the practice of law and still be entitled to receive his retirement compensation. He shall then be entitled to all the rights of an attorney-at-law and no longer be subject to this Code.
A person to whom this Code becomes applicable should arrange his affairs as soon as reasonably possible to comply with it. If, however, the demands on his time and the possibility of conflicts of interest are not substantial, a person who holds judicial office on the date this Code becomes effective may:
Because of financial hardships and the difficulties and confusion that would ensue from the precipitate termination or surrender by certain incumbent judges of existing business investments or corporate or partnership or executor of estate relationships involving both current income and prospective retirement income, incumbent judges on the effective date of the Code shall have a period of two years from and after such effective date to bring themselves in strict compliance with Canon 5.
[1]  excluding any individual trade account which does not exceed $200 in any month, such as sums owed monthly on oil company credit cards, department store charges, utility bills, etc.
[2]  excluding gifts received from a judge's immediate family and all campaign gifts which are reportable under Chapter 99, Florida Statutes.