New Judicial Ethics Opinions issued
Opinion JE07-009:
Issue: Does a Nevada jurist violate judicial canons if he or she serves as a reference for a candidate for appointment to another judicial office?
Answer: Not necessarily.
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection asks for six letters of reference, including three from lawyers or judges familiar with the candidate's professional competence and activities. The Committee finds that a sitting judge may not lend the weight of his or her office to judicial races, but in situations involving judicial appointments, a selection commission could benefit from input by judges who have presided over cases for the applicant. The Committee notes that in most other states, input in appointment selection is allowed and does not violate Canon 2A or B.
Opinion JE07-010
Issue: Does a juvenile probation officer serving as a justice of the peace pro-tem violate judicial canons?
Answer: No.
In a rural county, a non-lawyer officer of the county juvenile probation division, which is supervised by the chief district court judge in the county, may serve temporarily as a justice of the peace. The Committee recommends that the probation officer disqualify himself from cases involving people he had supervised as juveniles or dealt with as a sheriff's deputy prior to his new position as a probation officer. If disqualification is not possible, the officer must at a minimum disclose any past dealings with the defendant.