Ethics Opinion 276
12.14.1972
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Committee on Professional EthicsOpinion #276 -12/14/1972 (60-72)
appearance, judges, political activity
Topic: Town Justice running for non-judicial office
Digest: Town Justice must resign when running for a non-judicial office
Code of Judicial Conduct: Canon 7(A)(3)
QUESTION
Must a non-lawyer town justice resign the position as town justice when he runs for non-judicial office?
OPINION
Canon 7(A)(3) of the Code of Judicial Conduct, provides in pertinent part:”A judge should resign from his office when he becomes a candidate either in party primary or in a general election for a non-judicial office…”Accordingly, a Town Justice whether a lawyer or a non-lawyer must resign from his office when he becomes a candidate for nonjudicial office. Opinions under old Canon 30 of the Canons of Judicial Ethics reached the same conclusion. N.Y. State 197 (1971); N.Y. State 30 (1966); ABA 193 (1939).