Uncensored Justice System Discussion

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA

Another important part of a citizen's education on the criminal justice system includes the Codes of Conduct for judges in criminal cases, which includes both the Judicial Canons of Ethics and criminal procedures statutes stating specifically what judges CANNOT do.

Without knowing exactly what these canons and criminal procedures rules are, jurors will be completely ignorant of what judges are not allowed to do under the rules of law. Unethical prosecutors and even judges who are determined to "win" a case rather than act in the interests of justice and fairness will break these rules of law if they believe they can get away with it. It is up to all citizens to educate themselves on these rules and keep our court officials, judges included, HONEST.

Here's a list of links to one or two of the most important canons and rules judges must abide by:

Code of Judicial Conduct
Source: NJCourtsOnline.com
http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/rules/appendices/app1_jud.htm

Canons of Judicial Conduct for the Commonwealth of Virginia
http://www.courts.state.va.us/jirc/canons_112398.html

In both sets of Canons, it is specifically stated that:

(VIRGINIA) CANON 2 A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge's activities.

Rules of Judicial Criminal Procedure

http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1902000/19.2-263.1.html

19.2-263.1- "Contact between judge and juror prohibited. "

"No judge shall communicate in any way with a juror in a criminal proceeding concerning the juror's conduct or any aspect of the case during the course of the trial outside the presence of the parties or their counsel. "

Judges who violate any of these Canons of Ethics or rules of criminal procedure are guilty of either Judicial Misconduct or possibly Obstruction of Justice. I cannot imagine that a judge who violates a rule of criminal procedure is "avoiding the appearance of impropriety" stated in the Canons of Ethics. Any judge who does this should be reported to the state's judicial investigative agency as quickly as possible, by those who have personally witnessed it.

Do NOT just assume that simply because a judge does something, it is "legal." Even the judiciary has its "bad apples," and they should be removed from the bench when violations of ethics or criminal procedures rules have been reported.

J Cool

_________________
"We must remember, always, that accusation is not proof, and conviction depends on evidence and due process of law."
EDWARD R. MURROW, 1954