judicial ethics

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore mailed letters this week to all 50 governors asking them to urge their legislatures to call for a national convention on amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reports. The chief justice also is "known on the national stage for fighting to display the Ten Commandments in a judicial building," the AP reports. Moore told the AP it's the only way to "stop judges who are finding new rights to gay unions." Moore also said he was upholding Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage.

An Article V convention has never been held.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has adopted a new code of judicial conduct, including a rule against nepotism in judicial hiring decisions, The Legal Intelligencer's P.J. D'Annunzio reports. Abraham C. Reich of Fox Rothschild, co-chair of the PBA Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct, told The Legal "that the nepotism provision represented a cultural shift in the judiciary. 'I thought that was a very bold move by the court and one that I think is very positive,' Reich said. He added that the shift, via the anti-nepotism rule, is one that will have a positive impact on the way the public views the courts over time."

The Wall Street Journal reports that more judges are speaking publicly beyond their opinions and court proceedings, including U.S. District Judge Richard G. Kopf of Nebraska starting a blog. "The old taboo seemed to take a hit this past year. Judges and legal experts point to several reasons judges may be speaking more freely now: A Supreme Court whose justices are frequently in the public eye, a desire among judges to defend themselves against political attacks and correct the record, and increased media interest in their work," The Journal further reports.