070620 SCJEO, JUD 8-2020

• Case Date: July 06, 2020
• Court: South Carolina

JUD 8-2020 Opinion No. 8-2020 South Carolina Judicial Ethics Opinion Advisory Committee On Standards of Judicial Conduct July 6, 2020           LETITIA H. VERDIN, CHAIR.          RE: Propriety of a Magistrate Court Judge serving as the state Judicial Outreach Liaison with the American Bar Association.          FACTS          A Magistrate Court Judge has been asked to serve as the State Judicial Outreach Liaison (SJOL) with the American Bar Association (ABA). According to the ABA, the purpose of the position is to improve judicial community outreach and promote confidence and trust in the judiciary. The specific position description states:

While remaining independent and impartial, the SJOL serves as a statewide resource for the judiciary and other members of the highway safety community dealing with highway-safety-related court cases, particularly cases involving impaired driving. The duties of the SJOL include serving as an educator, writer, community outreach advocate, consultant, and liaison, regarding impaired driving and other traffic issues for the American Bar Association and South Carolina.

         The judge inquires as to whether serving in this capacity is proper.          CONCLUSION          A Magistrate Court Judge may serve as the State Judicial Outreach Liaison with the American Bar Association.          OPINION          Canon 4B states: “A judge may speak, write, lecture, teach and participate in other extra-judicial activities concerning the law, the legal system, the administration of justice and non-legal subjects...