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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
2000-20 appearance of impropriety/impropriety

Can a family court judge’s spouse mediate cases that the judge presides over? [2A]
2000-19 judicial duties

Can a magistrate serve as a backup mental hygiene commissioner? [None]
2000-18 campaign activities, campaign committee and treasurer

Is an unopposed judicial candidate required to have a campaign committee and/or treasurer if he/she does not intend engage in any campaign activities? [5C(2)]
2000-16 campaign activities and state seal

Can a judicial candidate use the state seal in his/her campaign materials? [2B]
2000-15 extrajudicial activities

Can a judge serve as a judge for the Miss West Virginia Scholarship Pageant? [None]
2000-14 extrajudicial activities and legislators

Can the Family Court Association collect money from its members to purchase candy jars with the group’s name on them and candy for legislators to use during the session to pass out candy to constituents and/or pay for a morning reception at the Capitol? [4B and 4C(1)]
2000-13 senior status and extrajudicial activities

May a senior status judge serve as a judicial fellow for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America? [4A and 4C(3)]
2000-12 extrajudicial activities, letter and domestic violence project

May a judge write a letter of support for the local pro bono domestic violence project? [2A and 2B]
2000-11 disclosure/disqualification, family member and prosecutor

Can a judge hear any case involving the prosecutor’s office if his/her daughter is the elected prosecutor? [3E(1)(d)(4)(ii)]
2000-10 campaign activities and state seal

Can a judicial candidate use the state seal on campaign materials? [2B]