WPC~  F! pOl~@E/e{RߕAU3*8ܖ{upX '/yFW*hsf Qܲت:FJb߷.^xPa5* a?_˘s"#ɈY%L\aMKq4+dDǎ(OJV@Ewζ6 J>?XyP9:&%mbdhyWJo 祸 ΠmܥDl zrz^.ek.PC<$QdyA 84OP?4 F: YY-0a>k\e*W'1ʩ5uޙ"TDzgg%тY&4%rm,b09+%6FLi1ր:ߝsfڍ&1-}j]hr?lcwA8~Q,~2a#NUN %] 0:c ^ w 4   m  0~ 0D" U<f N   Ba HP LaserJet 4,,,,,,0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,Ԝ{) V(bk1x3|xU  ($USUS.,    2    _dXXSeeAnnualReportoftheTennesseeJudiciary.(.(3($ !USUS.,      0  (#$  0  .B' Z$Arrus BT Roman   ($USUS.,    1    _dXXRule10,TennesseeSupremeCourtRules. d !USUS.,  _@> >  JUDICIALETHICSCOMMITTEEOPINIONNO.0004       ` Inquiryhasbeenpresentedregardingwhethertheclosingofalldivisionsofthe  ShelbyCountyCourtsofGeneralSessionsduringestablishedcourtholidaysconstitutesanethical : violationofanyprovisionsoftheCodeofJudicialConduct.  #  1      ׀Forcalendaryear2001,the L  establishedcourtholidayswillincluderegularholidays,anMBABench/Barconference,the   TennesseeGeneralSessionsJudgesConferenceandDecember17,2001throughDecember31,  `  2001.Therequestspecificallyquestionswhethersuchclosings,inlightofRule11,VII(b)ofthe r   RulesoftheTennesseeSupremeCourt,constituteaviolationoftheCodeofJudicialConduct. $     ` TennesseeSupremeCourtRule11, VII(b)providesasfollows:  6   8  0`   B.CourtstobeOpen.Art.I,17oftheTennesseeConstitutionprovides   that [a]llcourtsshallbeopen;andeverymanforaninjury...shallhave   remedybyduecourseoflaw,andrightandjusticeadministeredwithoutsale, p denial,ordelay.Infurtheranceofthisconstitutionalmandate,itisthe \ policyoftheTennesseeJudicialDepartmentthatallcourtsofthisstateshall H beopenandavailableforthetransactionofbusinessexceptonSaturdays, 4 Sundays,andlegalholidays,andduringmeetingsoftheTennesseeJudicial  p Conferencerequiredbylaw.Thisrulesetsforththeprocedurewhichshall  \ befollowedwhenajudgeofatrialcourtofrecordisabsent.H` `     ` Theprimaryfocusoftherequestiswhethertheprojectedcourtclosureswilleffect   compliancewiththelaw.TennesseeSupremeCourtRule10,Canon2(A)providesthat [a]judge 2 shallrespectandcomplywiththelawandshallactatalltimesinamannerthatpromotespublic   confidenceintheintegrityandimpartialityofthejudiciary.Theinstantrequestessentiallyseeks F" directionfromtheCommitteeastowhetherthespecifiedcourtclosingsinconnectionwith X $ establishedcourtholidaysareviolativeoftheopencourtssectionoftheTennesseeConstitutionor ! & theprovisionsofSupremeCourtRule11,VII(b).Determinativeofthisissueisaninterpretation #l( oftheterm legalholidays. ~$*    ` TheJudicialEthicsCommitteewascreatedbytheTennesseeSupremeCourttoissue %0!, formalethicsopinionsontheproperprofessionalconductofjudges.TheCommitteeprovides B'". guidancetojudgesastotheirethicalactions T  #  2      .TheJudicialEthicsCommitteemaintainsnoauthority (#0 beyondthatdelegatedbytheTennesseeSupremeCourt.Consequently,theCommitteemaynot *V%2 renderadvisoryopinionsrelativetowhethercertainactionsand/orconductofjudgesareinviolation  ofTennesseelaw.Inasmuch,theCommitteelacksauthoritytointerpretSupremeCourtrulessince b theSupremeCourtasthepromulgatorofitsrules,istherulesprimaryarbiter,PetitionofGant,937 t S.W.2d842(1996). &    ` TheCommitteeconcludesthatinsofarastherequestX@XXXsubjudice#XXXX@#seekslegaladvice 8  regardingwhetherspecifiedcourtclosingsviolateapplicableprovisionsoftheTennessee    Constitution,anappropriateopinionrequestshouldbemadetotherespectivecountyattorneyorthe  j  TennesseeAttorneyGeneral.TotheextentthataninterpretationofRule11isnecessary,petition |  totheSupremeCourtshouldbemade. .     `     h     FortheCommittee: @     `     h      `     h     _________________________________     `     h     ThomasR.Frierson,II,Chancellor z CONCUR: *z HAYES f _WAGGONER_ R BLACKBURN > _RUSSELL_