Opinion ID: 1656572
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Is it a Criminal Statute?

Text: ¶ 25. If the statute is criminal, then Judge Osborne can certainly not be disciplined absent conviction of the criminal offense. There has been no charge, arrest, indictment, prosecution or trial of a criminal offense. And even if each of these had occurred, the legislature clearly cannot make unlawful the actions of a lawyer or judge which are exercised pursuant to power conferred upon another branch of government. If it had such power, then the legislature would have the ability, for instance, to make it unlawful and a high misdemeanor for the Governor to serve in office after obtaining a divorce. The legislature obviously has no such power or ability. Nowhere does the Constitution grant to the legislature the power to set forth the terms upon which the Governor or a judge may serve, or be removed from office. Such power cannot be created indirectly by use of the legitimate legislative power to determine substantive criminal offenses.