Facebook friends with a judge? Recusal may not be necessary
A committee on judicial ethics ruled that a judge’s Facebook relationship with the parents of the victims of an alleged crime is not enough for the judge to be removed from a criminal trial, presumably the trial of the alleged offender.
The defendant’s attorney in the case asked the judge to voluntarily remove himself for the trial after it was discovered that the judge and the victim’s parents were Facebook “friends.” Requesting the opinion of the judicial ethics committee, the unnamed judge asked whether a mere Facebook friendship violated any code of ethics or appearance of impartiality.
With regard to social media relationships, the committee discerned there is not “anything inherently inappropriate about a judge joining and making use of a social network.” The committee did caution that judges should be “mindful of the appearance created” when entering relationships via a social networking site.
Regarding the case in front of the committee, the panel held the impartiality of the inquiring judge cannot be called into question simply because he “friended” individuals who are now involved in a case pending in his courtroom. Further, the committee found that “the mere status of being a `Facebook friend,’ without more, is an insufficient basis to require recusal.”