Interviewed applicants should be advised that all Judiciary employees must abide by the Judiciary’s Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct consists of eight canons that every Judiciary employee is bound by, both on and off-duty. Two of the Judiciary’s canons that may impact a candidate’s decision to accept employment are Canon 5, which limits outside employment and activities and Canon 6, which prohibits political activity. A summary of both canons is below.
Canon 5: Outside Employment and Other Activities: As a Judiciary employee, your court-related duties will take precedence over all outside activities. In other words, the Judiciary reserves the right to approve or deny the participation in those activities. Specifically, it is important to note the following:
Employees are required to notify the Judiciary of any outside employment. If it is deemed that the employment is a conflict with your position, the Judiciary can deny your request to work there. A few obvious examples of employment that are restricted are working with law enforcement agencies or lawyers’ offices. A less obvious example would be the dispensing of alcohol, which Judiciary employees are not permitted to do, such as being a bartender who only serves alcohol and does not serve food. Regardless of the position, outside employment work hours cannot conflict with your Judiciary hours of employment.
Participation in civic groups and volunteer organizations are also subject to review and approval. An example of an activity that may be restricted as a part of your participation in one of these associations is fundraising. Publicly soliciting funds and/or other donations may put an employee in conflict with his or her Judiciary position.
Canon 6: Political Activities: Employees are not permitted to participate in any partisan political activities. This includes, but is not limited to: attending political functions, displaying political stickers on your car or political signs in front of your home, or voicing your political views on Facebook. This canon is in place to ensure that the Judiciary maintains its independence from political influence.