Navigation Compassionate giving still subject to judicial ethics limits
A judge may not donate money to a meal train and/or GoFundMe account for the benefit of the sick spouse of an attorney that appears before them, the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee has determined.
Acting December 16 in Opinion Number: 2025-16, the JEAC said such a donation “would create a reasonable perception that the judge’s impartiality is compromised and would undermine public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.”
The inquiring judge received a request to contribute to a meal train or GoFundMe campaign established for an individual undergoing cancer treatment. The individual is married to an attorney who regularly practices before the judge. Although the judge wishes to contribute out of compassion, the judge was concerned about the appearance of impropriety and asked the ethics committee for guidance.
