State of Washington

Ethics Advisory Committee

Question

May a judicial officer speak to local high school driver education classes about the judicial officer’s personal experiences regarding the loss of a driver’s license?

The judicial officer would like to appear before local high school driver education classes to discuss the judicial officer’s personal experiences regarding the loss of a driver’s license. The judicial officer will probably be called upon to answer legal questions concerning drinking and driving, as well as specifically discuss his own situation. The judicial officer hopes that young people will benefit from the judicial officer’s experiences and come to realize that if a superior court judge can lose his or her license then it could happen to them. The students will be advised as to the full range of difficulties that one experiences from losing their privilege to drive, including costs, inconvenience, and humiliation.

Answer

CJC Canon 4(A) provides that judges may speak on the law if in doing so they do not cast doubt on their capability to decide impartially any issue that may come before them. A judicial officer may speak to driver education classes on his or her personal experiences regarding the loss of a driver’s license.

Opinion 96-04

02/29/1996