2001 Opinions

Opinion	Canon(s)	Subject
2001-01	2B, 4A	May a judge endorse a candidate for the Florida Bar Board of Governors?
2001-02	2, 3B(7), 4, 5, 5A	May a judge participate in an e-mail forum composed of real estate lawyers?
2001-03	2, 2A, 5, and 5B	May a county judge participate as a spokesperson in an advertising campaign by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles encouraging the use of child restraint seats and seat belts and advising as to the law regarding the mandatory use of same?
2001-04	5C(2), 5E, 5F, and 6A, 7, 7A, 7A(1)(b), 7B, Application of the Code of Judicial Conduct, Section B.	May a retired judge who has removed his name from the list for senior judge assignments take part in his son's judicial campaign by providing advice and making financial contributions?
2001-05	3E, 3E(1), 3E(1)(d)(ii), 3F	May a county judge, married to the elected public defender in the inquiring judge's circuit, preside over cases in the criminal division to which the public defender is assigned? If the inquiring judge remains in the civil division, must the inquiring judge disclose his relationship with the public defender when conducting weekend or holiday appearance hearings before the public defender has been appointed?
2001-06	3D(2) and 3E(1)	Does a judge have a duty to investigate or disclose to the Florida Bar potential unauthorized practice of law by a suspended attorney in the judge's court? Where the judge was previously employed as a law clerk by a now-suspended attorney who appears before the judge pro se, must a judge disclose the previous relationship or enter a disqualification?
2001-07	4, 4A, 4B, 5 and 5A	May a judge with specialized knowledge serve on the board of advisors for a professional reference publication dedicated to the criminal justice system and the mentally ill?
2001-08	2B	Whether it is improper for the inquiring judge to preside over cases where the court reporter is an employee of a court reporting service owned by the judge's wife. Whether the inquiring judge must advise counsel and litigants appearing before him that his wife's company is reporting the trials over which he presides. Whether the inquiring judge should attempt to dissuade his wife from pursuing the circuit's court reporting service contract.
2001-09	5, 5C, 5C(3), 5C(3)(b)i, 5C(3)(b)iii	Multiple questions regarding proposed fund-raising and charitable organization activities of judge.
2001-10	5, 5D(5)(a)-(h), 6	May a judge who has been assigned to a satellite courthouse in the judge's county for a number of years, and is due to be reassigned to the main courthouse, accept a gift from the bar association in appreciation of years spent presiding at the satellite courthouse?
2001-11	3E, 3E(1), 5D, 5D(1), 5D(1)(b), 5D(2), 5D(4)	Must the administrative judge in the county criminal division, who jointly owns with the elected state attorney and four others a lakeside trailer used for fishing trips, disqualify himself from all cases involving the state attorney's office?
2001-12	3C(2), 4D, 4D(2)	May an appellate court judge allow the judge's law clerk to serve on the Board of Directors at Florida Legal Services?
2001-13	5A, 5C(3), 5C(3)(a)	May a judge belong to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee?
2001-14	4B, 5A(1), 5B(1)(a), Civic and Charitable Activities, now renumbered as 5C(3)(a)(i) & (ii), and Commentary thereto	May a judge serve on a county domestic violence council if the council appears to have become an advocacy group? Is it a conflict of interest for judges to be members of a domestic violence council if there are members on the council who operate for-profit batterers' intervention programs? May the domestic violence council meet in the courthouse? Is it appropriate for members of the judiciary to attend domestic violence council meetings and answer questions about court procedures?
2001-15		May a judge maintain a membership in a voluntary bar association that endorses judicial candidates?
2001-16	Canon 5(B)(2); 5(C)(3)	May a judge serve as an appointed member of a commission of a municipal government and charged with fiscal oversight of government funds?
2001-17	Canon 3E	Whether disclosure is appropriate when a party is represented by a law firm that previously represented the law firm of the judge's spouse in a legal malpractice action. Whether disqualification is ethically required when a party is represented by a law firm that previously represented the law firm of the judge's spouse in a legal malpractice action.