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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
1995-01 campaign activities, checking account and signature card

Can a judicial candidate be named on the campaign checking account signature card for purposes of signing checks for his/her campaign committee? [5C(2)]
1994-25 extrajudicial activities

Can a judge serve as parliamentarian at the annual membership meeting of a Community Federal Credit Union? [None]
1994-24 concurrent employment

May a part-time family law member concurrently work on a contractual basis drafting decisions for the Office of Judges for Workers Compensation? [6C]
1994-23 appearance of impropriety/impropriety, family member and disclosure/disqualification

Can a judge place a juvenile in a program being provided by a corporation who employs the judge’s spouse? [2A and 3E(1)]
1994-22 extrajudicial activities, boards/commissions and law enforcement

May a magistrate be a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Associates? [4C(3)]
1994-21 disclosure/disqualification, family member and employment

Is a judge disqualified from presiding over cases involving the hospital employer of his/her adult stepson? [3E]
1994-20 disclosure/disqualification

Should a judge disqualify himself/herself from presiding over any case involving an insurance company who provides coverage for an opposing party to a lawsuit personally brought by the judge after an automobile accident? [None]
1994-19 extrajudicial activities and boards/commissions

Can a family law master continue to serve as an officer of a local Bar Association? [4C(3)(a)]
1994-17 extrajudicial activities and boards/commissions

May a family law master serve on the board of trustees of the public library? [4C(3)(b)]
1994-15 judicial duties, practice of law and concurrent employment

Can a special family law master who presides over limited cases concurrently engage in a domestic relations practice? [6C]