Opinion: 99-178

December 9, 1999




Digest: A judge may serve on the executive Board of Youth Court provided that (1) the judge is not expected to actively engage in fund-raising and (2) the judge's court is not one from which referrals are made to the Youth Court.
 

Rule:  22 NYCRR 100.2(A), 100.4(C)(3)(b)(i), (iv);
           Opinion 99-130.
 
 

Opinion:

            A part-time Town Court judge has been asked to serve on the Executive Board of a local Youth Court. In that position the judge would be involved in the general operation and supervision of the Youth Court and might occasionally sit in as an observer of a trial. There would be no participation by the judge in any actual case before the Youth Court. The judge asks if service on the Executive Board is proper.

            In Opinion 99-130, the Committee recently advised that the judge in that instance should not serve on the Board of Directors of a Youth Court because the judge might be referring cases to the Youth Court and was expected to actively engage in fund-raising on its behalf.

            In the inquiry now before the Committee, nothing in the materials submitted by the judge indicates that any fund-raising will be required. If active engagement in fund-raising is an expectation of Executive Board membership, then, of course, the judge should not serve. 22 NYCRR 100.4(C)(3)(b)(i), (iv); Opinion 99-130. As to the question of referral of cases, it is unclear from the inquiry whether cases would be referred from the Town Court to this particular Youth Court. If such referrals are anticipated, the judge should not serve. As was stated in Opinion 99-130:
 

If the inquiring judge declines to refer any cases to the Youth Court because of the judge's position with the organization, he/she may be doing a disservice to eligible defendants. On the other hand, if the judge is considering a referral of cases to the Youth Court it might be concluded that the judge is allowing his/her relationship with the Youth Court "to influence the judge's judicial conduct or judgment." 22 NYCRR 100.2(A).
            In short, the judge may serve on the Executive Board provided that (1) the judge is not expected to engage actively in fund-raising and (2) the judge's court is not one from which referrals are made to the Youth Court.