ÿWPC= .º.ˆ¾b˜=å¸i½q»ÑWC?¿Gó›ý™…ɉ1æÂ †{=ôÆ–£\Ý*öàEg­é¤0Hµu`:¾$§ý#rÿ«eV@—=²õd¶GÁÔûDüœ« _ ;–eN‡ÍO¹oúFd{M_ ÓWùÏh˜‚¸³×YŠð±SÚ°,‰õil’Í 6CÛ¸ÔË©¯GÔ.‚Ùà(ô±ÔÛUóÒë°|¤Me/Tî'¶±Më¼EßW$†¹ÃHŽFØ…ýAV5ì8Gà˽f¹´IŸ +š¶ƒ Q<øÑª/ÒÁ¥{Lü ÛSß–»ñ0ª]Á¥F탹"±¸JBã>¶÷‹¿øC[Ûò¬H°/@Hæº,¢>3S…”ƒ^suǧöïÃã¥O¬¿Éé¾+bü‰x']‰ü`5ðàþ…L…ðx(Xœ#©õ$ºÎktFÚ  Q<[à Øû©€ d‡„§“çÑÄc\ ¼Ôr0J lï qôimC̦ÏI8ÞM¦|ÚÅ]-ºÜ*óã"þ‰8_é5µ´øuQÊCÄ×¢À6ß\ä씩ÙˆL¯‰ ?Þ»íß)b¿N!úÌ\OB$J1Tc.aÒK£fú‹fúm‰ôµ #!ÀU:á % 0©!wÊ4ÎâñNù^ û m                    B ˜HP LaserJet 8000 DN PSØÚØÚÚØØÚ0,c½¬AZ‹"Arial RegularX(aë$¡¡ÑTR[  AØ'ÿ LegalY 3Ø' Letter AØ'ÿ Legal 3Ø' LetterTÑÔ€XئXXXÔÒ°ÒtpO',6,,XX3|x£‚b'ˆÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ dÝ ƒaë!ÝÑTR[° AØ'ÿ Legal3Ø' AØ'ÿ Legalÿ3Ø'TÑÔ€XúâXXXÔÒ°ÒÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÓÓà@OO!àò òJUDICIAL€ETHICS€COMMITTEEˆÐ ° Ðà@››!àADVISORY€OPINION€NO.€99„7ˆÌó óÌÌà ` àThe€Committee€has€been€asked€to€render€an€opinion€as€to€whether€aÏjudge€can€ethically€contribute€$100€annually€to€the€Trial€Judges€Conference€forÏthe€purpose€of€retaining€a€lobbyist€to€assist€the€judiciary€in€obtaining€personalÏbenefits.€€Specifically,€the€request€inquires€as€to€whether€it€is€ethicallyÏpermissible€for€a€judge,€either€on€his€or€her€own€behalf€or€through€a€retained€thirdÏparty,€to€lobby€the€legislature€for€ð ðpersonal€benefits.ððÌÌà ` àA€judge€may€participate€in€efforts€to€promote€the€fair€administration€ofÏjustice,€the€independence€of€the€judiciary,€and€the€integrity€of€the€legal€system.€ÏCanon€4(B).€€€Thus,€a€judge€may€appear€before€an€executive€or€legislative€bodyÏon€matters€concerning€the€law,€the€legal€system€and€the€administration€of€justice.€ÏòòSeeóó€€Canon€4(C)(1).€€Matters€related€to€the€administration€of€justice€have€beenÐ ¼  Ðinterpreted€to€include€the€appropriation€and€disbursement€of€funds€deemedÏnecessary€to€operate€and€finance€the€court€system,€òòseeóó€€Florida€Supreme€CourtÐ T#¤" ÐJudicial€Ethics€Advisory€Committee€Opinion€No.€99„21€(Aug.€25,€1999),€andÏsalary€increases€for€judges,€òòseeóó€€Washington€Ethics€Advisory€Committee,Ð ì&<"& ÐOpinion€No.€91„20€(advising€that€proper€for€judge€to€address€legislatureÏregarding€salary€increase€for€judges).€To€the€extent€that€time€permits,€a€judge€isÏencouraged€to€do€so,€either€independently€or€through€a€bar€association,€judicialÏconference€or€other€organization€dedicated€to€the€improvement€of€the€law.€€òòSeeóó€Ð .l). ÐCommentary,€Canon€4(B).€€€However,€in€doing€so€a€judge€must€scrupulouslyÏhonor€the€admonition€of€Canon€4(A)€that€his€activities€(1)€do€not€cast€reasonableÏdoubt€on€the€judgeððs€capacity€to€act€impartially€as€a€judge;€(2)€demean€theÏjudicial€office;€or€(3)€interfere€with€the€proper€performance€of€judicial€activities.€ÏòòSeeóó€€Canon€4(A).€Ð 7h28 ÐÌÐ °:6< ÐÔ_Ô‡à ` à€In€addition€to€heeding€these€aforementioned€admonitions,€the€judge€mayÏnot€personally€solicit€funds€to€advance€these€interests€as€proscribed€by€CanonÏ4(C)(3)(b).€ò ò€ó óHowever,€the€contribution€of€funds€used€to€hire€a€disinterested€thirdÐ H˜ Ðparty€lobbyist€to€advance€the€interests€of€the€members€of€the€Trial€JudgesÏConference€does€not€violate€any€provision€of€the€Code€of€Judicial€Ethics€as€longÏas€the€solicitation€of€the€$100€fee/donation€is€restricted€to€members€of€the€TrialÏJudges€Conference.€€òòSeeóó€€Texas€Judicial€Ethics€Advisory€Committee,€OpinionÐ „Ô  ÐNo.€201€(1996)€(opining€that€Code€of€Judicial€Conduct€does€not€prohibit€theÏTexas€Association€of€District€Judges€from€soliciting€$100€from€members€of€theÏassociation€to€hire€a€lobbyist€to€assist€the€efforts€of€the€association€before€theÏLegislature).€€ÌÌà ` àAfter€consideration€of€the€issue€before€this€Committee,€it€is€our€opinionÏthat€a€judge,€either€on€his€or€her€own€behalf€or€through€a€retained€lobbyist,€mayÏcommunicate€with€members€of€the€Legislature€on€matters€concerning€theÏadministration€of€justice,€including€the€appropriation€of€ð ðpersonal€benefitsððÏdeemed€necessary€to€operate€and€finance€the€court€system,€including€advancingÏbenefits€for€members€of€the€state€judiciary.€€òòSeeóó€€Canon€4(B).€€NotwithstandingÐ H#˜" Ðthe€conclusions€of€this€Committee,€no€judge€should€engage€in€conduct€that€theÏjudge€is€uncomfortable€engaging€in€even€if€this€Committee€finds€the€conductÏethically€permissible.ÌÌÌà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àFOR€THE€COMMITTEE:ÌÌÓÓà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ð ¨1ø,2 Ðà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àóóDAVID€G.€HAYES,€JudgeòòÐ Ž2Þ-3 ÐÌÌóóCONCUR:Ð @506 ÐFRIERSONÌPEETEÌWAGGONERÌBLACKBURNÌÌòòÌà ` àóó