Opinion ID: 2002270
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: improper use of judicial office to influence a licensing agency for the benefit of an acquaintance

Text: It was alleged that two letters written by respondent to the Oakland County Concealed Weapon Licensing Board in support of an applicant for a gun permit contained material misrepresentations that were influential in the decision to issue a gun permit. Upon de novo review of the record, we find the allegation to be supported by the evidence. The letters written by respondent clearly stated that Mr. Archer, the applicant for a gun permit, was a probation officer and was required to go into the inner city of Detroit at all hours during the course of his probation duties. Such information was not true and was clearly a misrepresentation. Mr. Archer was merely a volunteer probation officer who was asked by respondent to help probationers seek employment. Furthermore, he was not seeking a gun permit to assist him in his probational duties at all, but instead for business purposes. The chairman of the licensing board testified he was influenced by the letters submitted by respondent in issuing Mr. Archer an unrestricted gun permit. At a special hearing in 1980 after the general permit was issued, Mr. Archer admitted that he never went into Detroit, and the permit was then changed to a restricted permit in relation to his business activities. This action supports the conclusion that the misrepresentations in respondent's letters influenced the board in its initial decision. We find the allegation to be supported by the evidence and that such conduct is clearly in violation of DR 1-102(A)(4) [13] and Canon 2 of the Code of Judicial Conduct and, thus, constitutes misconduct.