Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
■ Published Opinion □ Unpublished Opinion □ Unpublished Letter of Advice
Judge Must Consider Limitations on Use of Social Networking Sites
Issue: What are the restrictions on the use of social networking sites by judges?
Answer: A judge must recognize that the use of social media networking sites may
implicate several provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct and, therefore, proceed
cautiously.
Facts: A judge has requested guidance about restrictions on the use of social networking
sites by judges. The request assumes that judges are not permitted to post anything on
social networking sites pertaining to court matters, and that judges cannot engage in any
activities on such sites otherwise prohibited by the Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct.
Setting forth the scope of the inquiry, the question submitted to the Committee thus
states: “In other words, this request does not pertain to what can or cannot be posted on
social media, but simply whether the mere fact of a social connection creates a conflict.”
Discussion: While participation on Internet-based social networks, such as Facebook,
1
has become ubiquitous, allowing people to remain in virtually constant communication,
the Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct (Md. Rule 16-813) does not directly address
involvement by Maryland judges. In broad terms, however, the Code does admonish
members of the Judiciary to “avoid conduct that would create in reasonable minds a
perception of impropriety.” Rule 1.2(b). That admonition is applicable “to both the
professional and personal conduct” of judges, who “should expect to be the subject of
public scrutiny that might be viewed as burdensome if applied to other persons.” Rule
1.2. Comments [1] and [2].
Facebook is used by millions of people worldwide. After joining this networking
site, participants create personal profile pages containing various types of information
about themselves, and then send “friend requests” to others, through a process known as
“friending.”
2
Typically, “Facebook friends” are people who knew one another before
joining the site, have mutual acquaintances and/or common interests. By becoming
“friends,” they are able to see photos, videos and other information posted by or about
one other on their respective Facebook pages. Many people post their thoughts, views
and opinions on almost any subject, as well as details of their daily lives. Moreover,
1
Other social media networking sites include: Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace. For illustrative purposes,
the Committee will refer only to Facebook.
2
Facebook participants can also “unfriend” others, by removing them from a list of friends or contacts. See
generally [Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee Opinion 2010-6].
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
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unless specific privacy settings are used to limit those with whom information is shared,
others in the network can view that information. Thus, information posted by a judge on
a social networking site can be quickly and widely disseminated, and possibly beyond its
intended audience.
Judicial Ethics Committees in several states have addressed the ethical propriety
of a judge‟s involvement on social networking sites, with divergent results. The Florida
Supreme Court Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee has prohibited judges from adding
lawyers who may appear before them as “friends” on networking sites, such as Facebook.
[Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee Opinion 2009-20.]
3
The Massachusetts
Judicial Ethics Committee and the Oklahoma Judicial Ethics Advisory Panel have opined
that judges may have Facebook accounts. The Oklahoma Advisory Panel concluded that
a judge may have a social networking account that includes as “friends” “any person who
does not regularly appear or [is] unlikely to appear in the Judge‟s court as long as he does
not use the network in a manner that would otherwise violate the Code of Judicial
Conduct.” [Oklahoma Judicial Ethics Opinion 2011-3]. For its part, the Massachusetts
Judicial Ethics Committee stated: “The Committee is of the opinion that the Code
prohibits judges from associating in any way on social networking sites with attorneys
who may appear before them. Stated another way, in terms of a bright-line test, judges
may only „friend‟ attorneys as to whom they would recuse themselves when those
attorneys appeared before them.” [Massachusetts Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion
2011-6].
The California Judicial Ethics Committee held that just as judges are permitted to
join social and civic organizations that include attorneys who may appear before them,
the same considerations apply to interacting with lawyers on online social networking
sites. “Accordingly, a per se prohibition of social networking with lawyers who may
appear before a judge is not mandated by the Canons.” The Ethics Committee further
opined, however, that although it did not believe a per se prohibition was mandated, “it is
important to stress that a judge‟s interactions with attorneys who may appear before the
judge will very often create appearances that would violate the Canons.” The Committee
thus identified several factors to be considered in determining whether it would be
permissible to interact with attorneys on social networking sites. Those factors included:
1) The nature of the social networking site (The more personal the nature of the page, the
greater the likelihood that including an attorney would create the appearance that the
3
For an article discussing this opinion, see John Schwartz, For Judges on Facebook, Friendship Has
Limits, N.Y. Times.com, Dec. 11, 2009. Cf. [Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee Opinion 2010-5]
(Candidate for judicial office may add lawyers who may appear before the candidate, if elected judge, as
“friends” on a social networking site, and permit such lawyers to add the candidate as their “friend.”).
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
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attorney would be in a special position to influence the judge, or cast doubt on the judge‟s
ability to act impartially). 2) The number of “friends” on the page. (The greater the
number of “friends” on the judge‟s page, the less likely one could reasonably perceive
that any individual participant is in a position to influence the judge). 3) The judge‟s
practice in determining whom to include. (As with the number of people on the page, the
more inclusive the page, the less likely it is to create the impression that any individual
member is in a special position to influence the judge). 4) How regularly the attorney
appears before the judge. (If the likelihood that the attorney actually will appear before
the judge is low, the more likely it is that the interaction would be permissible).
[California Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion 66].
Judicial Ethics Committees in New York, Kentucky, Ohio and South Carolina
have issued opinions allowing judges to participate in social networking sites. These
Committees found no ethical prohibition or requirement for mandatory recusal or
disclosure.
4
Those states that have not prohibited the activity, have nonetheless, all
emphasized the need for the exercise of caution by any judge who elects to participate on
social networking sites.
Several of Maryland‟s judicial ethics rules are implicated by the judge‟s inquiry.
Rule 1.2(a) requires that “[a] judge shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public
confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary.‟‟ Comment
[3] to Rule 1.2 explains: “Conduct that compromises or appears to compromise the
independence, integrity, and impartiality of a judge undermines public confidence in the
judiciary.” Rule 1.3 states that “[a] judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial office to
advance the personal or economic interests of the judge or others, or allow others to do
so.”
Rule 2.4, in turn, provides, in pertinent part:
4
The New York Judicial Ethics Committee cautioned, however, that a judge “should be mindful of the
appearance created when he/she establishes a connection with an attorney or anyone else appearing in the
judge‟s court through a social network … A judge must, therefore, consider whether any such online
connections, alone or in combination with other facts, rise to the level of a „close social relationship‟
requiring disclosure and/or recusal.” [New York Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion 08-176]. The
Kentucky Judicial Ethics Committee quoted, with approval, the New York Judicial Ethics Committee‟s
cautionary statement and further observed: “While social networking sites may create a more public means
of indicating a connection, the Committee‟s view is that the designation of a „friend‟ on a social networking
site does not, in and of itself, indicate the degree or intensity of a judge‟s relationship with the person who
is the „friend.‟” [Kentucky Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion JE-119]. See also [Ohio Judicial Ethics
Committee Opinion 2010-7] and [South Carolina Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct
Opinion No. 17-2009].
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
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(b) A judge shall not permit family, social, political, financial, or
other interests or relationships to influence the judge‟s judicial conduct or
judgment.
(c) A judge shall not convey or permit others to convey the
impression that any person or organization is in a position to influence the
judge.
Rule 3.1 states, in part:
A judge may engage in extrajudicial activities, except as prohibited
by law or this Code. When engaging in extrajudicial activities, a judge
shall not:
(a) participate in activities that will interfere with the proper
performance of the judge‟s judicial duties;
(b) participate in activities that will lead to the frequent
disqualification of the judge;
(c) participate in activities that would appear to a reasonable
person to undermine the judge‟s independence, integrity, or impartiality[.]
There is thus a concern that being designated as a “friend” of a judge on a social
networking site might be perceived as indicating both that the person is in a position to
influence the judge, and may have ex parte communications with the judge via that
medium.
5
The Committee, nevertheless, notes that there is no rule prohibiting judges from
having what traditionally has been thought of as “friends,” be they attorneys or
laypersons. Indeed, in order to become a District Court, Circuit Court, or appellate court
judge in this state, one must be a member in good standing of the Maryland State Bar. In
the vast majority of cases, members of the Bar become judges after years of working in
the legal profession and establishing personal relationships with others in that profession.
Attorneys are neither obligated nor expected to retire to a hermitage upon becoming a
judge. While they must be circumspect in all of their activities, and sensitive to the
5
Rule 2.9 states that, with specified exceptions, “[a] judge shall not initiate, permit, or consider ex parte
communications, or consider other communications made to the judge out of the presence of the parties or
their lawyers, concerning a pending or impending matter[.]”
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
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impressions such activities may create,
6
judges may and do continue to socialize with
attorneys and others.
The mere existence of a friendship between a judge and an attorney does not, in
and of itself, disqualify the judge from cases involving that attorney. Rule 2.11 sets forth
specific circumstances in which a judge “shall disqualify himself or herself” because “the
judge‟s impartiality might reasonably be questioned[.]” A personal friendship with one of
the attorneys is not among the enumerated circumstances. The list set forth in the Rule,
however, is not meant to be exhaustive. Comment [4] to Rule 2.11(c) states: “A judge
should disclose on the record information that the judge believes the parties or their
lawyers might reasonably consider relevant to a possible motion for disqualification, even
if the judge believes there is no basis for disqualification.” A personal relationship with
any of the attorneys or parties might be included in such information. The Committee
sees no reason to view or treat “Facebook friends” differently.
7
The requesting judge states: “This request assumes that a Judge is not permitted to
post anything on a social media site which pertains to Courthouse matters, and that a
judge cannot engage in any activity on a social media site which is otherwise prohibited
by the Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct. In other words, this request does not pertain
to what can or cannot be posted on social media, but simply whether the mere fact of a
social connection creates a conflict.” The Committee recognizes that there are many
reasons why a judge would want to participate in a social networking site such as
Facebook (e.g., to communicate with family members, college and law school
classmates, etc.). Accordingly, it is the Committee‟s position that “the mere fact of a
social connection” does not create a conflict. As the California Judicial Ethics
Committee aptly observed, “[i]t is the nature of the [social] interaction that should govern
the analysis, not the medium in which it takes place.” (Emphasis added). We reiterate,
however, the admonition of our counterparts in Kentucky and Oklahoma,
8
that “social
6
C-102 of the Preamble to the Code of Judicial Conduct states: “Judges should maintain the dignity of
judicial office at all times, and avoid both impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in their
professional and personal lives. They should aspire at all times to conduct that ensures the greatest possible
public confidence in their independence, impartiality, integrity, and competence.”
7
For a discussion of judges‟ personal relationships, see Cynthia Gray, The Too Friendly Judge? Social
Networks and the Bench, Judicature, May-June 2010 and Cynthia Gray, Disqualification and Friendships
with Attorneys, Judicial Conduct Reporter, Fall 2009.
8
The New York Judicial Ethics Committee similarly stated that “the Committee urges all judges using
social networks to, as a baseline, employ an appropriate level of prudence, discretion and decorum in how
they make use of this technology[.]” [New York Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion 08-176] The
California Judicial Ethics Committee suggested, “notwithstanding the explosion of participation in online
social networking sites, judges should carefully weigh whether the benefit of their participation is worth all
the attendant risks.” [California Judicial Ethics Committee Opinion 66].
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2012-07
Date of Issue: June 12, 2012
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networking sites are fraught with peril for judges.”
9
The ethical perils involve, not
whether a judge can participate on a social networking site, but rather, although not the
focus of this request, the manner in which the judge does so.
Application: The Judicial Ethics Committee cautions that this opinion is applicable only
prospectively and only to the conduct of the requestor described in this opinion, to the
extent of the requestor‟s compliance with this opinion. Omission or misstatement of a
material fact in the written request for opinion negates reliance on this opinion.
Additionally, this opinion should not be considered to be binding indefinitely. The
passage of time may result in amendment to the applicable law and/or developments in
the area of judicial ethics generally or in changes of facts that could affect the conclusion
of the Committee. If you engage in a continuing course of conduct, you should keep
abreast of developments in the area of judicial ethics and, in the event of a change in that
area or a change in facts, submit an updated request to the Committee.
9
A judge has been publicly reprimanded for social networking misconduct. See Public Reprimand of
Terry, North Carolina Judicial Standards Comm‟n, Inquiry No. 08-234, April 1, 2009 (Concluding that the
judge failed to observe appropriate standards of conduct to ensure the preservation of the integrity and
independence of the judiciary, failed to respect and comply with the law, failed to act in a manner that
promoted public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, engaged in ex parte
communication with counsel and conducted ex parte online research). In addition, a Georgia judge
resigned after questions were raised about his Facebook contact with a defendant. See Debra Cassens
Weiss, ABA Journal.com., Jan. 7, 2010.
