E T HICAL CONSIDE RAT IONS IN PROBAT E AND GUARDIANSHIP F - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

E T HICAL CONSIDE RAT IONS IN PROBAT E AND GUARDIANSHIP F OR COUNT Y JUDGE S

eth·ics [ˈ eTHiks] NOUN 1.moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity .

“QUOT E ” F ROM: E rnst T ro e ltsc h

E ve rything I ne e d to kno w I le a rne d in kinde rg a rte n. T his c la ss will no t ma ke yo u a n e thic a l pe rso n. Our c ha ra c te r ha s its fra me wo rk in pla c e b y the time we a re 3. Our pe rso na lity is fully d e ve lo pe d b y a g e 7. Our wo rld vie w is c o mple te b y the a g e o f 13. Summa ry, At a yo ung a g e we d e ve lo p a se nse o f rig ht a nd wro ng a nd me tho d o f me a suring ho w impre sse d we a re with c o rre c t b e ha vio r, a nd ho w o ffe nd e d we a re with inc o rre c t b e ha vio r. We a lso d e ve lo p a se nse o f whe re we a re o n the mo ra lity c o mpa ss o f life .

“QUOT E ” F ROM: Do ug K e nda ll

Judic ia l E xpe c ta tion of E thic s Judg e s ha ve a uniq ue ro le in the Ame ric a n de mo c ra tic syste m a s the unb ia se d inte rpre te rs o f the la w a nd the dispe nse rs o f justic e . A judg e sho uld no t o nly b e we ll ve rse d in la w, b ut he sho uld a c t fa irly a nd impa rtia lly a nd re nde r de c isio ns tha t a re inde pe nde nt a nd b a se d o n g o o d fa ith. Judic ia l pro fe ssio na l e thic s se rve the dua l purpo se s o f g uiding judg e s in the se a c tivitie s a nd a lso ma king the pub lic a wa re o f wha t to e xpe c t fro m judg e s.

E thic s in the e ye s of the la w

T E XAS CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT Pre a mb le : Our le g a l syste m is b a se d o n the princ iple tha t a n inde pe nde nt, fa ir a nd c o mpe te nt judic ia ry will inte rpre t a nd a pply the la ws tha t g o ve rn us. T he ro le o f the judic ia ry is c e ntra l to Ame ric a n c o nc e pts o f justic e a nd the rule o f la w. I ntrinsic to a ll se c tio ns o f this Co de o f Judic ia l Co nduc t a re the pre c e pts tha t judg e s, individua lly a nd c o lle c tive ly, must re spe c t a nd ho no r the judic ia l o ffic e a s a pub lic trust a nd strive to e nha nc e a nd ma inta in c o nfide nc e in o ur le g a l syste m. T he judg e is a n a rb ite r o f fa c ts a nd la w fo r the re so lutio n o f dispute s a nd a hig hly visib le symb o l o f g o ve rnme nt unde r the rule o f la w.

T E XAS CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT c ont. T he Co de o f Judic ia l Co nduc t is no t inte nde d a s a n e xha ustive g uide fo r the c o nduc t o f judg e s. T he y should also be gove r ne d in the ir ds . T he judic ial and pe r sonal c onduc t by ge ne r al e thic al standar Co de is inte nde d, ho we ve r, to sta te b a sic sta nda rds whic h sho uld g o ve rn the c o nduc t o f a ll judg e s a nd to pro vide g uida nc e to a ssist judg e s in e sta b lishing a nd ma inta ining hig h sta nda rds o f judic ia l a nd pe rso na l c o nduc t.

Ca non 1: Upholding the Inte g rity a nd Inde pe nde nc e of the Judic ia ry An inde pe nde nt a nd ho no ra b le judic ia ry is indispe nsa b le to justic e in o ur so c ie ty. A judg e sho uld pa rtic ipa te in e sta b lishing , ma inta ining a nd e nfo rc ing hig h sta nda rds o f c o nduc t, a nd sho uld pe rso na lly o b se rve tho se sta nda rds so tha t the inte g rity a nd inde pe nde nc e o f the judic ia ry is pre se rve d. T he pro visio ns o f this Co de a re to b e c o nstrue d a nd a pplie d to furthe r tha t o b je c tive .

Pr obate & Guar dianship Applic ation Ho w do e s Ca nno n 1 a pply to Pro b a te a nd Gua rdia nship? Disc uss

Ca non 2: Avoiding Improprie ty a nd the Appe a ra nc e of Improprie ty in All of the Judg e ’s Ac tivitie s A.A judg e sha ll c o mply with the la w a nd sho uld a c t a t a ll time s in a ma nne r tha t pro mo te s pub lic c o nfide nc e in the inte g rity a nd impa rtia lity o f the judic ia ry. B. A judg e sha ll no t a llo w a ny re la tio nship to influe nc e judic ia l c o nduc t o r judg me nt. A judg e sha ll no t le nd the pre stig e o f judic ia l o ffic e to a dva nc e the priva te inte re sts o f the judg e o r o the rs; no r sha ll a judg e c o nve y o r pe rmit o the rs to c o nve y the impre ssio n tha t the y a re in a spe c ia l po sitio n to influe nc e the judg e . A judg e sha ll no t te stify vo lunta rily a s a c ha ra c te r witne ss. C.A judg e sha ll no t kno wing ly ho ld me mb e rship in a ny o rg a niza tio n tha t pra c tic e s disc rimina tio n pro hib ite d b y la w.

Pr obate & Guar dianship Applic ation Ho w do e s c a nno n 2 a pply to Pro b a te a nd Gua rdia nship? Disc uss

Canon 3: Pe r for ming the Dutie s of Judic ial Offic e Impar tially and Dilige ntly A. Judic ia l Dutie s in Ge ne ra l. T he judic ia l dutie s o f a judg e ta ke pre c e de nc e o ve r a ll the judg e 's o the r a c tivitie s. Judic ia l dutie s inc lude a ll the dutie s o f the judg e 's o ffic e pre sc rib e d b y la w.

Pr obate & Guar dianship Applic ation Ho w do e s c a nno n 3 a pply to Pro b a te a nd Gua rdia nship? Disc uss

Ca non 4: Conduc ting the Judg e 's E xtra - Judic ia l Ac tivitie s to Minimize the Risk of Conflic t with Judic ia l Oblig a tions A.E xtra -Judic ia l Ac tivitie s in Ge ne ra l. A judg e sha ll c o nduc t a ll o f the judg e 's e xtra judic ia l a c tivitie s so tha t the y do no t: (1) c a st re a so na b le do ub t o n the judg e 's c a pa c ity to a c t impa rtia lly a s a judg e ; o r (2) inte rfe re with the pro pe r pe rfo rma nc e o f judic ia l dutie s.

Ca non 4: Conduc ting the Judg e 's E xtra - Judic ia l Ac tivitie s to Minimize the Risk of Conflic t with Judic ia l Oblig a tions – Cont. E . F iduc ia ry Ac tivitie s. (1) A judg e sha ll no t se rve a s e xe c uto r, a dministra to r o r o the r pe rso na l re pre se nta tive , truste e , g ua rdia n, a tto rne y in fa c t o r o the r fiduc ia ry, e xc e pt fo r the e sta te , trust o r pe rso n o f a me mb e r o f the judg e 's fa mily, a nd the n o nly if suc h se rvic e will no t inte rfe re with the pro pe r pe rfo rma nc e o f judic ia l dutie s. (2) A judg e sha ll no t se rve a s a fiduc ia ry if it is like ly tha t the judg e a s a fiduc ia ry will b e e ng a g e d in pro c e e ding s tha t wo uld o rdina rily c o me b e fo re the judg e , o r if the e sta te , trust, o r wa rd b e c o me s invo lve d in a dve rsa ry pro c e e ding s in the c o urt o n whic h the judg e se rve s o r o ne unde r its a ppe lla te jurisdic tio n.

Pr obate & Guar dianship Applic ation Ho w do e s Ca nno n 4 a pply to Pro b a te a nd Gua rdia nship? Disc uss

F o rme r Ge o rg ia Pro b a te Judg e Se nte nc e d to 30 ye a rs pro b a tio n a nd thre e ye a rs in priso n. F o rme r Jud g e Ma rg ie O’ b rie n wa s c ha rg e d with 81 c o unts o f the ft a n 2 c o unts o f ra c ke te e ring .

Don’t le t “e thic al” be your limits. Unde rsta nd tha t while yo u a re re q uire d b y the c a nno ns to b e b o th c o mpe te nt a nd e thic a l in yo ur a c tio ns a s a Judg e , yo ur g o a l is to a lso se e tha t the inte re st o f justic e is se rve d. E thic a l is whe re yo u sta rt a nd c o mpe te nc e is yo ur first ste p. Justic e is wha t yo u se e k. T ha nk Yo u Ho n. T ra me r J. Wo yte k