May a district or circuit judge serve as a delegate to a national political convention?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1984. 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 question was whether a judge could run for and serve as a delegate to a national political convention.
The Commission reaffirmed Opinion 78-46: Canon 7 discouraged but did not prohibit delegate service. It repeated the caution that political activity must not interfere with judicial duties or reflect adversely on the judiciary’s integrity, impartiality, or independence, and applied the earlier opinion to district and circuit judges.
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1984, after the Alabama Supreme Court’s 1975 adoption of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. Subsequent amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context and verify the current Canons and linked opinion before relying on its conclusions.
Common questions
Q: Was delegate service prohibited?
A: No. The Commission said it was discouraged but not prohibited.
Q: Did the holding apply to district judges?
A: Yes. The Commission expressly applied Opinion 78-46 to district as well as circuit judges.
Background and rules framework
The opinion applies Canon 7 of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics and reaffirms Alabama JIC Opinion 78-46 on convention delegation.
Citations and references
Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics:
- Canon 7
Other opinions cited:
- Alabama JIC Opinion 78-46, service as national convention delegate.
See also
Source
- Landing page: Alabama JIC advisory opinions
- Original PDF: Advisory Opinion 84-202
- Canon history: Alabama JIC, Canons of Judicial Ethics
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
84-202
Judicial Inquiry Commission
800 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET
SUITE 201
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104
January 30, 1984
The Judicial Inquiry Commission has considered your request for an opinion concerning whether a judge may run for and, if elected, serve as a delegate to a national political convention. Your question has been answered previously by the Commission in Opinion No. 78-46. There the Commission held that service as a delegate to a national convention was discouraged but not prohibited under Canon 7 of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. The Commission further admonished that if a judge should engage in such political activity, he must be extremely cautious so that his conduct does not in any way interfere with his judicial duties or reflect adversely on the integrity, impartiality or independence of the judiciary. A copy of that opinion is enclosed for your convenience. Opinion 78-46 is hereby reaffirmed and applied to District as well as Circuit Court Judges. Yours very truly, JUDICIAL INQUIRY COMMISSION
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