Opinion 25-148

November 6, 2025

Digest:  A judge may invite an elected non-judicial official to serve as master of ceremonies during the celebratory dinner at a magistrates association’s annual conference.

Rules:   22 NYCRR 100.1; 100.2; 100.2(A); 100.2(C); Opinions 23-98; 23-03.

Opinion:

          The inquiring town or village justice is an officer of a magistrates association.  The judge asks if a town supervisor may serve as the master of ceremonies during a celebratory dinner at the association’s annual judicial training conference.  The master of ceremonies “manages the events flow from the podium on the dais, gives a speech, introduces the President, President-Elect, officers, directors, members, other speakers and judges, as the newly elected officers and directors are administered their official oaths of office.”

          A judge must always act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality and avoid even the appearance of impropriety (see 22 NYCRR 100.2; 100.2[A]).  A judge must uphold the judiciary’s independence (see 22 NYCRR 100.1), and may not convey or permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence the judge (see 22 NYCRR 100.2[C]). 

          We have said a judicial association may honor an elected official for helping increase diversity in the judiciary at the association’s non-fund-raising, non-political event (see Opinion 23-98).  We noted that “the mere presence” of an elected official “does not necessarily convert the program into an impermissible political event” (id.).

          We have also advised that a magistrates association may invite “prosecutors, defense counsel, probation and various law enforcement and county agencies” to attend and speak at the association’s meetings, although judges should exercise caution to avoid discussing pending or impending cases or internal association business in the presence of “outsiders” who are neither judges nor court clerks (see Opinion 23-03). 

          Here, too, we see no impropriety in inviting a local elected non-judicial official to speak at a celebratory dinner on the last evening of the association’s judicial training conference.  Assuming the judges in attendance will abide by generally applicable limitations on judicial speech and conduct in the presence of a non-judge, we see no ethical bar to having a town supervisor serve as master of ceremonies at the event.