Colo. Code. Jud. Cond., Application

As amended through Rule Change 2024(18), effective October 2, 2024

Application

The Application section establishes when the various Rules apply to a judge or judicial candidate.

I. Applicability of This Code

(A) The provisions of the Code apply to all full-time judges. Parts II through V of this section identify those provisions that apply to three distinct categories of part-time judges. The three categories of judicial service in other than a full-time capacity are necessarily defined in general terms because of the widely varying forms of judicial service. Canon 4 applies to judicial candidates.

(B) A judge, within the meaning of this Code, is anyone who is authorized to perform judicial functions, including an officer such as a magistrate, referee, or member of the administrative law judiciary.

[1] The Rules in this Code have been formulated to address the ethical obligations of any person who serves a judicial function, and are premised upon the supposition that a uniform system of ethical principles should apply to all those authorized to perform judicial functions.

[2] The determination of which category and, accordingly, which specific Rules apply to an individual judicial officer, depends upon the facts of the particular judicial service.

[3] This code does not apply to a person appointed by the court to serve as a master in a particular case. This code does not apply to municipal judges except to the extent it is made applicable by statute, municipal charter or ordinance. However, reference to the code by all judicial officers, including municipal judges, is recommended to provide guidance concerning the proper conduct for judges.

II. Senior and Retired Judges

Senior judges, while under contract pursuant to the senior judge program, and retired judges, while recalled and acting temporarily as a judge, are not required to comply:

(A) with Rule 3.9 (Service as Arbitrator or Mediator); or

(B) with Rule 3.8 (Appointments to Fiduciary Positions).

III. Part-Time Judges

A judge who serves on a part-time basis

(A) is not required to comply:

(1) with Rules 3.8 (Appointments to Fiduciary Positions), 3.9 (Service as Arbitrator or Mediator), 3.10 (Practice of Law), 3.11 (A) and (B) (Financial, Business, or Remunerative Activities); and

(B) shall not practice law in the court on which the judge serves or in any comparable level court in the same judicial district on which the judge serves or in any court subject to the appellate jurisdiction of the court on which the judge serves, and shall not act as a lawyer in a proceeding in which the judge has served as a judge or in any other proceeding related thereto;

(C) shall not practice law with respect to any controversies which will or appear likely to come before the court on which the judge serves or any court of the same or comparable jurisdiction within the same judicial district on which the judge serves.

[1] This Canon limits a part-time judge from practicing law in any comparable level court in the same judicial district as the judge serves. However, this prohibition shall not apply to any temporary assignment of a part-time judge to a comparable level court outside the judicial district the judge serves. In addition, this prohibition shall not apply to a one-time assignment of a part-time judge to a court of higher jurisdiction (such as a one-time assignment under order in a district court case) either within, or outside of, the judicial district in which the judge serves. A part-time judge serving on temporary assignment is not thereby precluded from practicing law in the court to which that judge may be temporarily assigned. During such period of temporary assignment, however, the judge shall not actively participate as counsel in any case pending before the court to which the judge is temporarily assigned.

[2] A part-time judge who practices law must avoid undertaking or continuing any relationship which precludes the judge from maintaining the integrity of the bench which he or she serves and at the same time providing the undivided loyalty to clients which the exercise of professional judgment on behalf of a client demands. Being "of counsel" is deemed to be the practice of law, whereas acting as a mediator or arbitrator is not deemed to be the practice of law. Necessarily, the professional responsibilities of a part-time judge who practices law limit the practice of law by the judge's partners and associates.

ETHICS OPINION

A part-time county court judge with authority by chief judge order to preside over cases in the district court may not appear as a lawyer in the district court in the judicial district. In this case, the part-time judge had continuing authority to hear district court criminal cases, but never exercised his authority. The opinion precludes the judge from appearing in district court civil cases in the same judicial district. CJEAB Op. 07-06.

IV. Appointed Judges

An Appointed Judge who serves pursuant to C.R.C.P. 122 and section 13-3-111 , C.R.S., for the period of the appointment, and in his or her capacity as Appointed Judge,

(A) is not required to comply with the following canons:

(1) 2.10 (A) (Judicial Statements on Pending and Impending Cases), except as to the case where he or she is appointed, and should require similar abstention from comment on the part of those personnel who are subject to the Appointed Judge's direction and control;

(2) 3.2 (Appearances Before Governmental Bodies and Consultation with Governmental Officials); 3.3 (Testifying as a Character Witness); 3.4 (Appointments to Governmental Positions); 3.7 (Participation in Educational, Religious, Charitable, Fraternal, or Civic Organizations and Activities); 3.8 (Appointments to Fiduciary Positions); 3.9 (Service as Arbitrator of Mediator); 3.10 (Practice of Law); 3.11 (Financial, Business, or Remunerative Activities); 3.12 (Compensation for Extrajudicial Activities); 3.13 (C) (Reporting of Certain Gifts, Loans, Bequests, Benefits, or Other things of Value); 3.14 (Reimbursement of Expenses and Waivers of Fees or Charges); and 3.15 (Reporting Requirements);

(3) 4.1 (A)(5, 12, 13) (Political and Campaign Activities of Judges in General); 4.2 (Political and Campaign Activities of a Judge Standing for Retention); and 4.4 (Campaign Committees).

(B) should refrain as follows:

(1) from financial and business dealings that relate directly to any issues in the case to which the Appointed Judge is appointed;

(2) from accepting any gift, bequest, favor or loan from any party to or the lawyer appearing in the case to which the appointed judge is appointed, and should require a spouse, domestic partner or family member residing in the judge's household to refrain from accepting gifts, bequests, favors, or loans in the same manner as the judge.

V. Time for Compliance

A person to whom this Code becomes applicable shall comply immediately with its provisions, except that those judges to whom Rules 3.8 (Appointments to Fiduciary Positions) and 3.11 (Financial, Business, or Remunerative Activities) apply shall comply with those Rules as soon as reasonably possible, but in no event later than one year after the Code becomes applicable to the judge.

[1] If serving as a fiduciary when selected as judge, a new judge may, notwithstanding the prohibitions in Rule 3.8, continue to serve as fiduciary, but only for that period of time necessary to avoid serious adverse consequences to the beneficiaries of the fiduciary relationship and in no event longer than one year. Similarly, if engaged at the time of judicial selection in a business activity, a new judge may, notwithstanding the prohibitions in Rule 3.11, continue in that activity for a reasonable period but in no event longer than one year.

Colo. Code. Jud. Cond., Application