WPC  X2 1(:.|05G)d}X@ygt.J)Jubn _#FPGd2JFMv2"MvJ5U恎pUKb^>(Sf]2NUD.p/J ͢`0{hP80zZ'0?l2jÂ]"z+{ +U]&N^!Oc(/A40qİ {Hc7m 0.,ħi0Wh7%-eun(t#fn%!cneQp7A&SyWOrɑs4_=])$U2A#2tQilV|;rNa<ƠbظKyEFP=tJGZyqs0mt Q°Q'U4" %V\nl 04UF-sw@{7 0D 0D6 7z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z B <6X9`(Courier 10X3|x<6X9`(Courier 10Xx6X@29X@(2$  7FXXdd7      TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T  a&2$<09Z .Courier New Regular EEEE{ -  $        1    Underthefactshere,the"ofcounsel"relationshipofthe  lawyertothefirmwouldnotaffecttheapplicationofCanon3E.Therelationshipbetweenthelawyerandthefirmissubstantial.((3$ 2!  7*XXdd7      TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T       0  (#$  0   -  $        1    Underthefactshere,the"ofcounsel"relationshipofthe  lawyertothefirmwouldnoteffecttheapplicationofCanon3E.Therelationshipbetweenthelawyerandthefirmissubstantial. d 2!  7zXXdd7      TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T   zz*XpX*X XXXXzXXX TRY,3' Letter[A'3' LetterA' LegalT@ JUDICIALETHICSCOMMITTEE   @" OPINIONNO.991______  @ @*  InquiryhasbeensubmittedtotheCommitteeforissuanceofanopinionastowhetherajudgeshouldrecuseherselfinallcasesinvolvingacertainlawfirm.Anattorney"ofcounsel"withthatfirmrepresentsthejudge'shusbandsexwifeinadomesticrelationsmatternowpendingincourt.Thedomesticrelationsproceedingisdescribedas"acrimonious".Thelawyeralsoactivelycampaignedagainstthejudgeandwasreportedtobetheauthorofseveralnegativenewsarticlesaboutthejudge.  Thelawfirmisnowapartyinlitigationpendingbeforetherequestingjudge.Theissueiswhetherthejudgeshouldrecuseherselfinthispendinglitigationandshouldsherecuseherselfinallcasesinwhichthislawfirmappearsbeforeher.  Canon3EofTheCodeofJudicialConductrequiresdisqualificationinthefollowingcircumstances:8  Ajudgeshalldisqualifyhimselforherselfinaϐproceedinginwhichthejudgesimpartialitymightreasonablybequestioned,includingbutnotlimitedtoinstanceswhere: xx 8  (a)thejudgehasapersonalbiasorπprejudiceconcerningapartyorpartiesπlawyerorpersonalknowledgeofπdisputedevidentiaryfactsconcerning xx Ѐtheproceeding.Theissueisnotsimplyoneofactualpartiality,asrecusalisalsowarrantedwhenapersonofordinaryprudenceinthejudge'sposition,knowingallthefactsknowntothejudge,wouldfindareasonablebasisforquestioningthejudge'simpartiality.See +'2 Alleyv.State,882S.W.2d810,820(Tenn.Crim.App.1994);State P-(4  v.Cash,867S.W.2d741(Tenn.Crim.App.1993);andCollierand  Hancockv.GriffithandQuarles1992Tenn.App.LEXIS245(March @ 11,1992)("judgesareexpectedtorecusethemselvesnotonlywhentheyareactuallybiasedorprejudicedbutalsowhentheirimpartialitymightreasonablybequestioned").  ItistheopinionoftheCommitteethatgiventheϐ"acrimonious"natureofthelitigationinwhichthejudge'shusbandisinvolvedandtheprioractionsofthelawyer    #  1      כrelatedtothe   electioncampaign,񛀜thatthejudgeshouldrecuseherselffromallcasesinvolvingtheparticularlawyerorhislawfirm.Thisrecusalshouldapplywhenthelawfirmisaparty,aswellaswhenmembersofthelawfirmappearinarepresentativecapacity.  TheCommitteewishestoemphasizethatitsdecisionisfactdriven.Often,recusalastotheentirelawfirmwouldnotbenecessary.Here,thefactswarrantrecusalacrosstheboard.̀ FORTHECOMMITTEE:    ̀ ______________________  !% Ѐ WALTERC.KURTZ,JUDGE  f"& ӜCONCUR:ӜPEAYFRIERSONFRIERSONPEETEWAGGONER   p   񀀀sA[RPRILAPRIL28,1999 D(#. #X XXXz\#̇