Judicial Ethics Committee Opinions - 1996

• 96-1

  May a judge serve as volunteer chairperson of a celebration for a local charitable organization?

• 96-2

  Can a retired judge serve as an expert witness?

• 96-3

  May a judge preside over cases involving lawyers who play various roles in salary negotiations with the judge's spouse's employment group or the law firms with which such lawyers are affiliated?

• 96-4

  Under what circumstances, and pursuant to what procedure, may the law partners of an attorney appear and practice before a Nebraska judge who is the brother of that attorney?

• 96-5

  A judge, who has jurisdiction in certain civil matters in which his first cousin has a possible financial interest, states that he would be compelled to disqualify himself if the matter came to trial. Must the judge also disqualify himself from hearing a motion for default judgment?

• 96-6

  A judge inquires: Would a contribution to the Committee for an Independent Judiciary (Committee) made by his spouse from an account which bears his name as joint tenant and which is composed of her contributions (account) violate the Nebraska Code of Judicial Conduct (Code)?

• 96-7

  Must a judge disqualify from criminal cases prosecuted by the county attorney when that judge is a party to a pending appeal challenging the assessed value of the judge's personal residence?

• 96-8

  The presiding judge of a judicial district inquires:

  • Is recusal required if one of the parties to a lawsuit is an attorney who practices law in the court where that judge presides?
  • Does it make any difference if the attorney appears regularly in front of the judge?
  • Does it make any difference if the attorney is the defendant in a criminal case, as opposed to being a party plaintiff or party defendant in a civil case?
  • If one judge in a district decides that recusal is appropriate, must all judges in that district recuse themselves?
• 96-9

  May a judge write an occasional column for a local newspaper that is published by law enforcement officers primarily for law enforcement officers?