Courts, Communities, & Courts, Communities, & Classrooms: Educating the Classrooms: Educating the

Public About the LawPublic About the Law  

CODE OF JUDICIAL CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCTCONDUCT

Canon 1Canon 1Upholding the Integrity and Independence of Upholding the Integrity and Independence of

the Judiciarythe Judiciary

An independent and honorable judiciary is An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society. indispensable to justice in our society. A A judge should participate in establishing, judge should participate in establishing, maintaining and enforcing high standards of maintaining and enforcing high standards of conductconduct, and , and should personally observe should personally observe those standards so that the integrity and those standards so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary is preservedindependence of the judiciary is preserved. . The provisions of this Code are to be The provisions of this Code are to be construed and applied to further that construed and applied to further that objective.objective.

Canon 2Canon 2- Avoiding Impropriety and the - Avoiding Impropriety and the

Appearance of Impropriety in ALL of the Appearance of Impropriety in ALL of the Judge’s ActivitiesJudge’s Activities

A. A judge A. A judge SHALLSHALL comply with the law and comply with the law and should act at all times in a manner that promotes public should act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.judiciary.

B. A judge B. A judge SHALLSHALL not allow any relationship to not allow any relationship to influence judicial conduct or judgment. A judge shall not influence judicial conduct or judgment. A judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial office to advance the private lend the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others.interests of the judge or others.

Canon 3Canon 3Performing the Duties of Judicial Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and DiligentlyOffice Impartially and Diligently

A. A. Judicial Duties in General.Judicial Duties in General.

The judicial duties of a judge take The judicial duties of a judge take precedence over all the judge’s other precedence over all the judge’s other activities. Judicial duties include all the activities. Judicial duties include all the duties of the judge’s office prescribed by duties of the judge’s office prescribed by law. law.

Canon 4Canon 4Conducting the Judge’s Extra-Judicial Conducting the Judge’s Extra-Judicial

Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with Judicial Obligationswith Judicial Obligations

A. Extra-Judicial Activities in General.

A judge A judge SHALLSHALL conduct all of the judge’s conduct all of the judge’s extra-judicial activities so that they do not:extra-judicial activities so that they do not:

(1) cast reasonable doubt on the (1) cast reasonable doubt on the judge’s capacity to act impartially as a judge; judge’s capacity to act impartially as a judge; or or

(2) interfere with the proper (2) interfere with the proper performance of judicial duties.performance of judicial duties.

Canon 4Canon 4B. Activities to Improve the Law A judge B. Activities to Improve the Law A judge

MAY: MAY:

(1) speak, write, lecture, teach and (1) speak, write, lecture, teach and participate in extra-judicial activities participate in extra-judicial activities concerning the law, the legal system, the concerning the law, the legal system, the administration of justice and non-legal administration of justice and non-legal subjects, subject to the requirements of subjects, subject to the requirements of this Code. this Code.

Canon 4Canon 4B. Activities to Improve the Law A judge B. Activities to Improve the Law A judge

MAY: MAY:

(2) serve as a member, officer or director of an (2) serve as a member, officer or director of an organization or governmental agency devoted to organization or governmental agency devoted to the improvement of the law, the legal system or the improvement of the law, the legal system or the administration of justice…. He or she may the administration of justice…. He or she may make recommendations to public and private make recommendations to public and private fund-granting agencies on projects and fund-granting agencies on projects and programs concerning the law, the legal system programs concerning the law, the legal system and the administration of justice. and the administration of justice.

Canon 5Canon 5 Refraining From Inappropriate Political Refraining From Inappropriate Political

ActivityActivity--

(1) A judge or judicial candidate (1) A judge or judicial candidate SHALLSHALL not: not:

(i) make pledges or promises of conduct in (i) make pledges or promises of conduct in office regarding pending or impending cases, office regarding pending or impending cases, specific classes of cases, specific classes of specific classes of cases, specific classes of litigants, or specific propositions of law that litigants, or specific propositions of law that would suggest to a reasonable person that the would suggest to a reasonable person that the judge is predisposed to a probable decision in judge is predisposed to a probable decision in cases within the scope of the pledge.cases within the scope of the pledge.

PUBLIC OUTREACHPUBLIC OUTREACH

So …So …

what may a judge what may a judge do?do?

andand

What have you What have you done?done?

DEATH BOOKDEATH BOOKIn Memory of…. Matthew Blake is

dead at the age of 17 – he was exceeding the posted speed limit, hit another vehicle and died in the crash.

From Courtroom to ClassroomsFrom Courtroom to Classrooms The Court’s Involvement in Public The Court’s Involvement in Public

SchoolsSchoolsEach Year over Each Year over 5,0005,000 teens ages 16 to 20 die due to teens ages 16 to 20 die due to

fatal injuries caused car accidents. fatal injuries caused car accidents.

About About 400,000400,000 drivers age 16 to 20 will be seriously drivers age 16 to 20 will be seriously injured.injured.

For 16 to 19 year olds, the risk of being involved in a For 16 to 19 year olds, the risk of being involved in a car accident is higher than it is for any other age car accident is higher than it is for any other age group. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to group. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about 19 are about FOURFOUR times more likely than other times more likely than other drivers to crash.drivers to crash.

From Courtroom to ClassroomsFrom Courtroom to Classrooms The Court’s Involvement in Public The Court’s Involvement in Public

SchoolsSchoolsMTSI StatisticsMTSI Statistics

Young drivers between the ages of Young drivers between the ages of 15 and 2015 and 20, comprise , comprise 6.5%6.5% of the licensed population of the licensed population • High number injured or killed due to speed, DUI, failure to wear High number injured or killed due to speed, DUI, failure to wear

a seat belt and other poor driving habits.a seat belt and other poor driving habits.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of 15-20 year olds. 15-20 year olds.

NHTSA reported that NHTSA reported that 23%23% of the young drivers between of the young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, who were killed in crashes, had a the ages of 15 and 20, who were killed in crashes, had a BAC of .08 or higher.BAC of .08 or higher.

From Courtroom to ClassroomsFrom Courtroom to Classrooms The Court’s Involvement in Public SchoolsThe Court’s Involvement in Public Schools

Texas Municipal Judges > Texas Municipal Judges > 3636 % state judiciary. % state judiciary. On daily basis On daily basis

• More citizen contactMore citizen contact• Then all Texas Courts combined.Then all Texas Courts combined.• Majority: Traffic SafetyMajority: Traffic Safety

Driving on the Right Side of the RoadDriving on the Right Side of the Road (DRSR) (DRSR) • curriculum developed with the Texas State Bar and TMCEC curriculum developed with the Texas State Bar and TMCEC • Opportunity for Judiciary to play a meaningful role Opportunity for Judiciary to play a meaningful role • discussing the law and traffic safety issues discussing the law and traffic safety issues • Texas public schools students. Texas public schools students.

From Courtroom to ClassroomsFrom Courtroom to Classrooms The Court’s Involvement in Public SchoolsThe Court’s Involvement in Public Schools

DRSR DRSR • series of lessons for social studies classes series of lessons for social studies classes

• Law Related Education (LRE)Law Related Education (LRE)• Colorful and interactiveColorful and interactive

• elementary, secondary, and high school levelselementary, secondary, and high school levels• focus on citizenship education and traffic safety. focus on citizenship education and traffic safety.

Municipal judges and court personnel Municipal judges and court personnel • materials on the TMCEC websitematerials on the TMCEC website• Offer to participate in classroom as resource persons. Offer to participate in classroom as resource persons. • providing real life or hypothetical examples, providing real life or hypothetical examples, • accurate descriptions of law accurate descriptions of law • serve as positive role modelsserve as positive role models..

From Courtroom to ClassroomsFrom Courtroom to Classrooms The Court’s Involvement in Public The Court’s Involvement in Public

SchoolsSchools

Who is the BEST expert in your city on traffic safety Who is the BEST expert in your city on traffic safety laws?laws?

• YOU !!!!YOU !!!!

TMCEC has established TMCEC has established speaker’s bureau of judges and court personnel speaker’s bureau of judges and court personnel Volunteer:Volunteer:

• DRSR brochure, DRSR brochure, • form distributedform distributed• TMCEC’s Traffic Safety Grant Administrator. TMCEC’s Traffic Safety Grant Administrator.

www.tmcec.com

Click on…

DRSRThen…Teaching Materials

““Our Town” MapOur Town” Map

““Our Town” Our Town” Map Map

of Do’s of Do’s

and Don’tsand Don’ts

Rules of the RoadRules of the RoadTxDOT LandTxDOT Land

Pick Six Pick Six Online Computer GameOnline Computer Game

Helpful LinksHelpful LinksWebsitesWebsites

• www.drsr.infowww.drsr.info• www.texaslre.orgwww.texaslre.org• www.tmcec.comwww.tmcec.com

Goofy and Goofy and Motor MMotor Mania: ania: www.youtube.com/watch?www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCgv=mZAZ_xu0DCg

And if we do nothing . . And if we do nothing . . ..