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JUDICIAL INVESTIGATION COMMISSION
ADVISORY OPINIONS

In 2021, the Judicial Investigation Commission decided to update the JIC Advisory Opinion Website. All relevant opinions were redacted to remove the identifying information of the requestor and uploaded in their entirety to the website. Importantly, they are now searchable by assigned number, topic and/or Code provision. Obsolete opinions were identified and retired.

Numbers were given to each advisory opinion. The number to the left of the hyphen (-) represents the year in which the advisory opinion was written. The number to the right of the hyphen (-) is the actual opinion number. New topics were created, and each advisory opinion was ascribed one or more for ease of reference. Lengthy summaries were reduced to questions(s) presented and applicable Code Rules have been listed to the right of them. Not every advisory opinion contains a Rule.

Beginning with JIC AO 2015-23 through the current advisory opinion, the Rules cited pertain to the West Virginia Code of Judicial Conduct in effect from December 1, 2015 to the present time. Beginning with JIC Advisory Opinion 1993-02 through JIC Advisory Opinion 2015-19, the Rules cited pertain to the Code in effect from January 1, 1993 through November 30, 2015. Beginning with JIC Advisory Opinion 1985-01 through JIC Advisory Opinion 1992-23, the Rules cited pertain to the Code in effect from January 1, 1973 through December 31, 1992.

Retired Advisory Opinions from 6/6/2023

Retired Advisory Opinions from 12/10/2021

Old to new code conversion

Advisory Opinion Topic Words

 

Complaint Number Topic Question/Code Reference
2015-05 staff, family member, appearance of impropriety/impropriety, employment and bail bondsman

Is it permissible for a cohabitating partner of a magistrate assistant to be employed as a bail bondsman? [1A, 2A, 3C(5) and 3E(1)(c)]
2015-04 extrajudicial activities and boards/commissions

Can a magistrate serve on the Board of Directors for New Horizon Industries, Inc.? [4C(3)]
2015-03 family member, employment and process server

Can a magistrate’s spouse work as a process server? [1A, 2A, 3E(1)(c)]
2015-02 practice of law

Can a lawyer magistrate on his/her own time prepare wills, deeds and rental agreements, perform legal work for the County Commission and/or teach on the college level? [1A, 2A, 3E(1), 4B and 4G]
2015-01 financial activities and bail bondsman

Would the sale of property to a bail bondsman disqualify a Judge from presiding over any case involving the bondsman or his/her company? [3E(1)(c)]
2014-23 vacancy and reference

Can a judge be listed as a reference for a candidate for appointment to a circuit judge vacancy? [5A{1)(b)]
2014-22 disclosure/disqualification and representation

How much time is sufficient for a judge to disclose a prior relationship with two attorneys who represented him/her in a prior legal matter that concluded a few months before he/she took judicial office? [3E(1)]
2014-21 disclosure/disqualification and guardian/conservator

Can another attorney in a mental hygiene commissioner’s law firm take Guardian/Conservator appointments if he/she only appears before other mental hygiene commissioners in the county? [None]
2014-20 extrajudicial activities and education

Can a judge participate in a Citizens Law School? [4B]
2014-19 public comment, election and legislator

Can a judge make a short statement on WVPBS about historical, social and cultural significance of the first female US Senator in West Virginia? [None]