Opinion 07-213

January 31, 2008

Digest:         A judge may display both the emblem for a religious organization and a license plate that identifies the judge as a member of a judges’ organization on his/her car.

Rules:          22 NYCRR 100.4(C)(3); 100.4(C)(3)(a),(b).

Opinion:

         A judge asks whether he/she may display both the emblem for a religious organization and a license plate that identifies him/her as a member of a judges’ association on his/her car.

         Pursuant to 22 NYCRR 100.4(C)(3), a judge may be a member of a religious organization that is not conducted for profit, subject however, to certain limitations that are not relevant to this inquiry (see 22 NYCRR 100.4[C][3][a], [b]). As judges are permitted to be members of religious organizations, it is the Committee’s view that there is no impropriety in the inquiring judge displaying an emblem of a religious organization on his/her car.

         There is no ethical prohibition against a judge displaying a license plate on his/her car that identifies him/her as a member of a judges’ association.