Judicial Ethics & Bench Books
The Committee on Judicial Ethics of the State Bar of Texas Judicial Section issues written judicial ethics opinions in response to written questions requesting interpretations of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The legal division of the Office of Court Administration publishes those opinions and promulgates a subject matter index and footnotes which reference current code provisions for the opinions.
Judges who have questions about the Code of Judicial Conduct may contact the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and receive guidance from its attorneys or assistance in contacting the Committee on Judicial Ethics for a written opinion. Neither the oral advice of the Commission's attorneys nor the written opinions of the Committee are binding on the Commission itself in disciplinary proceedings.
The advisory opinions issued by the Committee on Judicial Ethics construe the Code of Judicial Conduct as it exists on the date the opinion is issued. Subsequent amendments to the Code may affect the application of an opinion.