PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
 

Opinion 88/14

Authoring and publication of book
Canon 2A, 2B, 3C and 4

Re: Committee on Standards of Conduct Governing Judges
Your inquiry dated May 10, 1998

Dear Judge
 

On May 10, 1988 you asked that the Committee render an opinion stemming from a commercial publishing company asking you to author a book dealing with the defense of child abuse cases.

Based upon the Committee's assessment of your question and the views expressed in Opinions 76/17 and 82/5, copies of which are enclosed, it appears that Canons 2A, 2B, 3C and 4 do not  foreclose the undertaking as it is describe in your May 10 letter.

The committee is expressly charged with rendering advisory opinions interpreting the application of the Code of Judicial Conduct to specific circumstances confronting or affecting a judge or judicial candidate. Its opinions are advisory to the inquiring party, to the Judicial Qualifications Commission and to the judiciary at large. Conduct that is consistent with an advisory opinion issued by the committee may be evidence of good faith on the part of the judge, but the Judicial Qualifications Commission is not bound by the interpretive opinions issued by the committee. Petition of the Committee on Standards of Conduct for Judges 327 So2d 5 (Fla. 1976).
 

Cordially yours,

Richard H. Frank, Chairman
Committee on Standards of Conduct Governing Judges

RHF/jf
cc: All Committee Members

Participating Members: Judges Booth, Dell, Frank, Goldstein, Green, Levy, Shutter, Tolton and Attorney Page

All reference to the inquiring judge is deleted from the copies sent to the following individuals.

Mr. Sid White, Clerk of the Supreme Court of Florida
Linda Yates, Managing Editor, The Florida Bar Journal
Brooke S. Kennerly, Executive Director, Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Hon. Howard T. Markey, Chairman, Ethics Advisory Panel of the Judicial Conference of the United States .
Jeffrey M. Shaman, Esquire, Director, Center for Judicial Conduct Organizations
Ms. Jean Underhill, Librarian, Broward County Law Library
Mr. Robert Wallace, Librarian, Dade County Law Library
Mr. Brian Polley, Librarian, Supreme Court of Florida