SC Judicial Department

These advisory opinions have been issued by the Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct. Rule 503(D), SCACR, provides the following regarding these opinions: "All opinions shall be advisory in nature only. No opinion shall bind the Commission on Judicial Conduct in any proceeding properly before that body. However, in the discretion of the Commission on Judicial Conduct, an opinion of the Committee may be considered as evidence of a good faith effort to comply with the Code of Judicial Conduct."

08-2012		Propriety of a circuit court judge presiding in cases where judge’s niece and nephew are attorneys in a firm appearing before the judge.


07-2012		The propriety of a Master-in-Equity participating in the campaign activities of his or her spouse.


06-2012		Does the Code of Judicial Conduct require a municipal judge to transfer an employee to another department because the employee’s spouse is undergoing a criminal investigation.


05-2012		Propriety of circuit court judges, who preside at drug court, to attend a conference for drug court and other types of remedial courts, where the conference will be paid for by drug court fees.


04-2012		Propriety of a part-time magistrate judge screening incarcerated individuals and appointing the Public Defender’s office to represent those who qualify.


03-2012		Propriety of a circuit court signing a solicitor’s petition to be nominated as a circuit delegate to the South Carolina Bar’s House of Delegates.


02-2012		Propriety of a magistrate judge employing a constable whose spouse is the Chief Enforcement Animal Control Officer.


01-2012		Propriety of a judicial law clerk, who is also an accountant, submitting a Power of Attorney form to the IRS in order to discuss tax returns on behalf of a friend.