Opinion ID: 2807428
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: amending florida’s code

Text: In light of the Court’s ongoing concerns, and in consideration of these various approaches taken by other jurisdictions, the Court began to consider amendments to Florida’s Code. To address the JEAC’s overly broad interpretation of the endorsement ban in Canon 7, the Court published proposed amendments to the Code for public comment. The Court specifically sought comments from the JEAC and the Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges. In total, seven comments were filed, which ranged from enthusiastic support for the amendments from some members of The Florida Bar to opposition by the JEAC. The Conference indicated that its membership had diverse views, including some members who supported the proposed amendments as written; other members who believed that the amendments should apply only to members of the Supreme Court because members of the District Courts of Appeal do not experience the same concerns; still other members who expressed no position but believed that the - 16 - Code should be consistent for all judges; and members who opposed the amendments. After fully considering the comments filed, the approaches taken by other jurisdictions, and especially the purposes underlying the Code and Canon 7, we have concluded that these amendments are necessary to clarify the proper interpretation of Canon 7 and the scope of permissible joint campaign activities by judges in a merit retention election for the same judicial office. We therefore adopt the amendments as proposed, which add a new sentence to Section 7C(2) of the Code and a new paragraph to the Commentary of Canon 7.4 Specifically, Section 7C(2), which authorizes certain campaign activities for judges who have drawn active opposition in a merit retention election, is amended to explicitly authorize judges facing active opposition in a merit retention election for the same judicial office to campaign together and conduct a joint campaign designed to educate the public on merit retention and each judge’s views as to why he or she should be retained in office—and to refute the allegations leveled against them collectively by active opposition—to the extent not otherwise prohibited by Florida law. In addition, we amend the Commentary to Canon 7 to clarify that 4. In the publication notice, the Court inadvertently referenced “Section 7C(3),” instead of “Section 7C(2),” in the proposed amendment to the Commentary of Canon 7. We have corrected this inadvertent error, as reflected in the appendix to this opinion, but otherwise adopt the amendments exactly as proposed and published for comment. - 17 - joint campaigning by merit retention candidates for the same judicial office, as explicitly authorized under the amendment to Section 7C(2), “is not a prohibited public endorsement of another candidate” under the endorsement ban in Section 7A(1)(b). These clarifying amendments are consistent with the types of campaign activities authorized and contemplated by the ABA Model Code, upon which Florida’s Code is based, which contains the same prohibitory language regarding endorsements as Section 7A(1)(b) of Florida’s Code but sets forth an explicit exception to the endorsement ban with respect to candidates for the same judicial office. See ABA Model Code of Jud. Conduct, Rule 4.1, Comment 4 (providing that, notwithstanding the prohibition on judges and judicial candidates “publicly endorsing or opposing candidates for public office,” judicial candidates are not prohibited “from campaigning on their own behalf, or from endorsing or opposing candidates for the same judicial office for they which are running”). Indeed, while Florida’s Code was modeled after the ABA Model Code, the JEAC’s broad interpretation of the endorsement ban has taken Florida’s Code in a more restrictive direction than the construction of the ban expressed in the Commentary to the ABA Model Code. The amendments we adopt today bring Florida’s Code back into closer alignment with the ABA Model Code. However, these amendments apply only to - 18 - judges seeking merit retention to the same judicial office who have drawn active opposition, rather than also to candidates in a competitive election for a seat on a trial court. Florida’s Code, therefore, continues to remain stricter than either the ABA Model Code or the approach taken in many other states, including California and Indiana. See, e.g., Cal. Code of Jud. Ethics, Canon 5A(2), Advisory Committee Commentary (providing that judges and judicial candidates are prohibited from publicly endorsing or opposing only candidates for nonjudicial office); Ind. Code of Jud. Conduct, Rule 4.2, Comment 7 (providing that, although judges and judicial candidates may not publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for any public office, judicial candidates may group themselves into “slates” or “other alliances” in order “to conduct their campaigns more effectively”). Further, in authorizing each judge to express his or her own views “as to why he or she should be retained in office,” these amendments still remain stricter than the ABA approach, which explicitly authorizes candidates to “endorse[]” or “oppose[]” other candidates “for the same judicial office.” See ABA Model Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 4.1, Comment 4. We do not decide at this time, and these amendments therefore do not address, whether judges seeking merit retention to the same judicial office may explicitly express support for each other. Not only are these amendments more consistent with the interpretation set forth in the ABA Model Code, but they are also more consistent with the “broad - 19 - statement” that forms the basis for the rules that comprise Canon 7 itself—that is, “A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Refrain From Inappropriate Political Activity.” (Emphasis added.) In other words, it is the avoidance of inappropriate political activity, combined with the need to prevent judges from abusing the prestige of judicial office to advance the interests of others, that form the basis for the endorsement ban in Section 7A(1)(b). Neither of these justifications supports the JEAC’s broad interpretation of the ban as prohibiting joint campaigning and the pooling of campaign resources under the limited circumstances outlined in these amendments. The current, overly broad interpretation of the endorsement ban also creates tension with Canon 2 of the Code, which provides that a judge “shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.” Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 2A. In this regard, Section 7C(2), which we amend today, already states that a judge with active opposition in a merit retention election may campaign “in any manner authorized by law,” subject only to the restrictions of subsection A(3) of the Code, which requires, among other things, that judges act in a manner “consistent with the impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary.” Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7A(3)(b). These amendments remove the unduly restrictive impediment under the current interpretation of Canon 7 on a judge’s ability to conduct a joint campaign - 20 - with another judge seeking merit retention to the same judicial office, thereby enabling judges to more effectively educate the public about merit retention and to refute the allegations against them raised by the opposition. Although we have considered the comments filed by the JEAC and the Conference, which have assisted in our review of this issue, we have ultimately concluded that none of the concerns raised in the comments provide a valid basis to reject these amendments. First, despite the JEAC’s suggestion, the amendments do nothing to undermine the “separation between the judiciary and politics.” We wholeheartedly agree with Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the Supreme Court in Williams-Yulee, that “[j]udges are not politicians, even when they come to the bench by way of the ballot.” 135 S. Ct. at 1662. Unfortunately, the reality of experience with those judges on the ballot for merit retention who face active opposition is that it is the opponents who are attempting to inject politics into the judiciary through their attacks. By explicitly permitting judges seeking merit retention for the same judicial office to run a joint campaign, judges who face active opposition are more likely to be able to effectively respond to outside attacks than when they are prohibited from pooling campaign resources, particularly when being attacked by those who have a political agenda. In fact, these amendments actually further the interests of Canon 7 in separating judges from politics by enabling judges to collectively refute allegations - 21 - of active opposition that are based on politics, rather than a judge’s competency or integrity. The amendments apply only to judges for merit retention, seeking the same judicial office, who have drawn active opposition. In other words, they are limited in scope and tailored to remedy a concern that arises in a specific context. Indeed, these amendments merely clarify that joint campaigning and the pooling of campaign resources, under certain circumstances, is a permissible campaign activity for this limited group of judges—who are already authorized by Section 7C(2) of the Code to engage in other limited campaign activities. Moreover, as explained in In re Code of Judicial Conduct (Canons 1, 2, & 7(A)(1)(b)), 603 So. 2d 494, 498-99 (Fla. 1992), Canon 7 authorizes judges to engage in political activity “on behalf of measures to improve the law, the legal system or the administration of justice.” Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7D. Permitting a judge who is running for merit retention to conduct a joint campaign with another judge for the same judicial office “designed to educate the public on merit retention and each candidate’s views as to why he or she should be retained in office” is consistent with the Code’s authorization of political activity to “improve the law, the legal system or the administration of justice.” These amendments also do not impact the other Canons that prohibit a judge from becoming improperly involved in politics except as authorized, nor do they permit a judge to accept an endorsement from a political party. See, e.g., Fla. Code - 22 - of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7D (providing that a judge shall not engage in any political activity except as authorized under the Code; by law; or on behalf of measures to improve the law, the legal system, or the administration of justice); Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7A(1) (providing that a judge or candidate for judicial office shall not act as a leader in a political organization, make speeches on behalf of a political organization, attend political party functions, or make a contribution to a political organization or candidate). Nor do the amendments remove or alter the other ethical obligations and campaign restrictions already contained in the Code. See, e.g., Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7A(3) (requiring any candidate for a judicial office to be faithful to the law and maintain professional competence in it, and to maintain the dignity appropriate to judicial office and act in a manner consistent with the impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary). Finally, several members of the Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges expressed a concern with the proposed amendments related not to the merits of the proposal itself, but to its scope. Specifically, some district court judges stated that they supported the proposed amendments but believed that they should apply only to Justices of the Supreme Court, rather than also to judges of the District Courts of Appeal. Other members stated that they neither supported nor opposed the amendments but believed that the Code should be consistent for all judges, including trial court judges. - 23 - We have considered the views of the Conference but have ultimately concluded that these amendments strike the right balance as to their scope. The Code already contains different restrictions and provisions for judges seeking merit retention and candidates or incumbent judges seeking election to an office filled by public election between competing candidates. Compare Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7C(1), with Fla. Code of Jud. Conduct, Canon 7C(2)-(3). Indeed, different considerations may be relevant in a campaign between competing candidates, especially if neither is a sitting judge, and a campaign involving a “yes” or “no” vote to retain a sitting judge in office. There are not, however, any distinctions made in Canon 7 between Justices of the Supreme Court and other appellate court judges.