Under Opinion 82-160, which jurors could receive a judge’s personally funded commendation letter?
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This page answers the general question as of 1982. Ask about yours and see what the current rules of professional conduct in your state say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
The Commission clarified Opinion 82-126 after judges asked whether a circuit judge could send commendatory letters to jurors at personal expense.
It allowed personally funded letters that did not conflict with Opinion 82-126, but under Canon 1 limited recipients to jurors who participated in a proceeding before the sending judge, such as jury qualification, jury striking, or trial. The official PDF is marked “[Overruled in part by 93-482].” The 1993 opinion lists 82-160 among earlier opinions overruled to the extent they conflict with its state-resource analysis.
Currency note
The official PDF is marked “[Overruled in part by 93-482].” Opinion 93-482, issued June 25, 1993, lists 82-160 among earlier opinions overruled to the extent of conflict with its state-resource analysis. Opinion 08-894, issued September 12, 2008, later adopted guidelines for appreciation letters and permitted court resources within those limits. This 1982 opinion followed the Alabama Supreme Court’s 1975 adoption of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics; read its original answer as historical context alongside the later opinions.
Common questions
Q: Could the judge pay for the letters personally?
A: Yes. That was the specific arrangement addressed in this opinion.
Q: Could the judge send them to all venire members?
A: The Commission limited these personally funded letters to jurors who participated in a proceeding before the sending judge.
Background and rules framework
The opinion clarifies Opinion 82-126 and applies Canon 1’s judicial-integrity standard to commendatory letters.
Citations and references
Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics:
- Canon 1
Other opinions cited:
- Alabama JIC Opinion 82-126, earlier juror-letter restrictions
See also
Source
- Landing page: Alabama JIC advisory opinions
- Original PDF: Advisory Opinion 82-160
- Later opinion: Advisory Opinion 93-482
- Later opinion: Advisory Opinion 08-894
- Canon history: Alabama JIC, Canons of Judicial Ethics
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
82-160
[Overruled in part by 93-482]
Judicial Inquiry Commission
800 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET
SUITE 201
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104
August 27, 1982
Clarification of 82-126
The Judicial Inquiry Commission has considered requests from various judges for a clarification of Advisory Opinion 82-126. Specifically, the clarification requested is whether a Circuit Judge may send commendatory letters to jurors at his own expense as long as he is not in conflict with Advisory Opinion 82-126. It is the opinion of the Commission that a Circuit Judge may send commendatory letters to jurors at his own expense so long as his action does not conflict with Advisory Opinion 82-126. However, a judge should be ever mindful of the high standards set out in Canon 1 of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. Under this Canon, in order to protect the integrity of the judiciary, such letters should be sent only to those jurors who participated in a proceeding over which the judge sending the letters presided; i.e., qualifying or striking a jury or a jury trial. Very truly yours, JUDICIAL INQUIRY COMMISSION
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