THEN FILE A COMPLAINT!!!!renfred said:
I gave you the link with the name and address. It would take you significantly less time to draft a letter than to post ad nauseum on here about it.
St. Mary's County Judicial Ethics Question?
- Thread starter renfred
- Start date
I gave you the link with the name and address. It would take you significantly less time to draft a letter than to post ad nauseum on here about it.
Julian Izydore Criminally Indicted
Quoted from The Enterprise on www.somdnews.com:
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/090707/entetop170123_32118.shtml
"Abrams said a process will begin to assign a judge from outside St. Mary’s to hear the case. ‘‘I don’t think any of the local judges can,” she said."
Kudos to Judge Abrams!
"Partner, Abrams & Izydore, 1989"
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/31cc/html/msa13939.html
I think the local judiciary is headed in the right direction.
Quoted from The Enterprise on www.somdnews.com:
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/090707/entetop170123_32118.shtml
"Abrams said a process will begin to assign a judge from outside St. Mary’s to hear the case. ‘‘I don’t think any of the local judges can,” she said."
Kudos to Judge Abrams!
"Partner, Abrams & Izydore, 1989"
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/31cc/html/msa13939.html
I think the local judiciary is headed in the right direction.
So Judge Abrams CAN be impartial and objective?renfred said:
So Judge Abrams CAN be impartial and objective?
I think that the way that she handled this DOES help to increase the public's perception that the local judicial system is fair, impartial, AND mindful of the public's trust. I also appreciate the fact that she was open to the media and public by explaining her position and gave a glimpse into the tough balancing act that an administrative judge has to face. A job needs to get done while concurrently avoiding the perception of impropriety.
Good job by the local media as well. They have been providing good coverage of the Izydore case as it unfolds.
vraiblonde said:
I think that the way that she handled this DOES help to increase the public's perception that the local judicial system is fair, impartial, AND mindful of the public's trust. I also appreciate the fact that she was open to the media and public by explaining her position and gave a glimpse into the tough balancing act that an administrative judge has to face. A job needs to get done while concurrently avoiding the perception of impropriety.
Good job by the local media as well. They have been providing good coverage of the Izydore case as it unfolds.
Judge Karen H. Abrams - Judicial Ethics Committee Issues Opinion
http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2007-10
Date of Issue: September 25, 2007
■ Published Opinion
Disclosure and/or Recusal of Judge Who Leases Property to a Lawyer Who Appears Before the Judge
Issue: Is a judge required to disclose the nature of the relationship and/or recuse himself/herself from cases involving an attorney who leases office space from the judge?
Answer: A judge must disclose the nature of the relationship to the parties and their clients so that the parties may have a chance to object or waive their objections. If the parties do not agree to waive the judge’s disqualification, the judge should recuse himself/herself unless there are compelling circumstances to the contrary.
http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf
Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee
Opinion Request Number: 2007-10
Date of Issue: September 25, 2007
■ Published Opinion
Disclosure and/or Recusal of Judge Who Leases Property to a Lawyer Who Appears Before the Judge
Issue: Is a judge required to disclose the nature of the relationship and/or recuse himself/herself from cases involving an attorney who leases office space from the judge?
Answer: A judge must disclose the nature of the relationship to the parties and their clients so that the parties may have a chance to object or waive their objections. If the parties do not agree to waive the judge’s disqualification, the judge should recuse himself/herself unless there are compelling circumstances to the contrary.
Pete
Repete
Did you read the whole document?
Particularly the part where they ruled in 1980 and 1982 that a landlord tennant relationship did not indicate a conflict?
Judge Karen H. Abrams - Judicial Ethics Commission
Do you still stand by your position that it is okay for the Administrative Judge of St. Mary's County to rent her old office space to a local attorney, and then not dislcose this financial relationship on the record to all parties, when the renter is before her representing one of the parties?
I firmly stand by my position, and now, so does the Maryland Judicial Ethics Commission.
Did you read the whole document?
Particularly the part where they ruled in 1980 and 1982 that a landlord tennant relationship did not indicate a conflict?
Do you still stand by your position that it is okay for the Administrative Judge of St. Mary's County to rent her old office space to a local attorney, and then not dislcose this financial relationship on the record to all parties, when the renter is before her representing one of the parties?
I firmly stand by my position, and now, so does the Maryland Judicial Ethics Commission.
awpitt
Main Streeter
But if you read further, the opinion mentions other states' finding contrary to the 80 & 82 finding and goes on to say,Did you read the whole document?
Particularly the part where they ruled in 1980 and 1982 that a landlord tennant relationship did not indicate a conflict?
"The lease of office space by a judge to a lawyer who appears in front of that judge may raise doubts in the public’s mind as to the extent to which this relationship may affect the judge’s ability to remain fair and impartial, in contravention of Canon 2A. The Committee believes that automatic disqualification is not required in this instance, provided the judge discloses the landlord-tenant nature of the relationship to the parties and their clients so that they may have a chance to object to the judge’s participation in
the case or waive their objections. If there is an objection made, the judge should not hear the case unless there are compelling circumstances to the contrary. To the extent that any prior opinions of this Committee with respect to this subject matter are inconsistent with this opinion, they are overruled and further reliance on such prior opinions is not advised."
Abrams and ethics
The "old post", was a thread regarding opinions on whether or not it is appropriate for the Administrative Judge of St. Mary's County, Karen H. Abrams, to rent property to a local attorney, then fail to disclose this fact to litigants in her courtroom when her tenant goes before her. A wide variety of opinions were expressed regarding this issue.
Then, on September 25, 2007, the Maryland Judical Ethics Committee issued an opinion which applies, like a lock and key, to Judge Abrams' disclosure problem. This opinion now applies to Judges statewide.
Here is the link to the opinion:
http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf
The "old post", was a thread regarding opinions on whether or not it is appropriate for the Administrative Judge of St. Mary's County, Karen H. Abrams, to rent property to a local attorney, then fail to disclose this fact to litigants in her courtroom when her tenant goes before her. A wide variety of opinions were expressed regarding this issue.
Then, on September 25, 2007, the Maryland Judical Ethics Committee issued an opinion which applies, like a lock and key, to Judge Abrams' disclosure problem. This opinion now applies to Judges statewide.
Here is the link to the opinion:
http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf
Tony,
While it does indeed say exactly what you have posted the section of the opinion titled "Application" says
doesn't this mean that unless it was Judge Abrams that requested the opinion then it would not apply to her?
New Judicial Ethics Website for SoMd
This new website is dedicated to cleaning up the problem of judicial ethics which has plagued Leonardtown for years:
www.theretainercheck.com
This new website is dedicated to cleaning up the problem of judicial ethics which has plagued Leonardtown for years:
www.theretainercheck.com
spike2763
New Member
This new website is dedicated to cleaning up the problem of judicial ethics which has plagued Leonardtown for years:
www.theretainercheck.com[/QUOTE]
www.theretainercheck.com[/QUOTE]
MD State Financial Disclosure Statements
Nope. Not for Years 2003-2005, only in Year 2006, after a detailed complaint was filed against Judge Abrams with the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilites.
www.theretainercheck.com
The three relevant pages of Judge Abrams' Maryland State Financial Disclosure Statements for the years 2005 and 2006, which show that she omitted her financial relationship with Dan Guenther in YR 2005, but after a complaint was filed against her, she included it on her YR 2006 Statement, are all up on www.theretainercheck.com. Feel free to check it out for yourselves.
During the time period through 2006, Judge Abrams' husband, Maryland Court of Special Appeals Judge James A. Kenney III, served as Vice Chair of the MD Judicial Ethics Committee, which "determines whether to allow a judge or judicial appointee to correct a deficiency as to a financial disclosure statement or to refer the matter, as to a judge, to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities" (Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee).
It is important to note that a complaint was filed against Abrams in August of 2006 in which her failure to include her financial relationship with Dan Guenther on her YR 2005 MD State Financial Disclosure Statement was prominently layed out. The complaint was dismissed in mid-November of 2006. Judge Kenney retired and gave up his post as Vice Chairman of the MD Judicial Ethics Committee in March of 2007. The MD Judicial Ethics Committee published opinion 2007-10 (http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf) on September 25, 2007.
What is also disturbing, and you can see for yourself on the MD State Financial Disclosure Statements that I have attached, is that on her YR 2005 Statement, Abrams claimed $14,000 in wages on her Schedule E under Karen Abrams, P.C.. The next year, after the complaint was filed, Abrams removed the $14,000 from her Schedule E, and moved it to her Schedule I, which states: "Rent received from Daniel Guenther , Esquire for rental of 41620 Fenwick Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650 $14,400 annually." In other words, she not only omitted it from her YR 2005 Statement, she creatively claimed it under Karen Abrams, P.C., further camouflaging the omission.
www.theretainercheck.com
Nope. Not for Years 2003-2005, only in Year 2006, after a detailed complaint was filed against Judge Abrams with the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilites.
www.theretainercheck.com
The three relevant pages of Judge Abrams' Maryland State Financial Disclosure Statements for the years 2005 and 2006, which show that she omitted her financial relationship with Dan Guenther in YR 2005, but after a complaint was filed against her, she included it on her YR 2006 Statement, are all up on www.theretainercheck.com. Feel free to check it out for yourselves.
During the time period through 2006, Judge Abrams' husband, Maryland Court of Special Appeals Judge James A. Kenney III, served as Vice Chair of the MD Judicial Ethics Committee, which "determines whether to allow a judge or judicial appointee to correct a deficiency as to a financial disclosure statement or to refer the matter, as to a judge, to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities" (Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee).
It is important to note that a complaint was filed against Abrams in August of 2006 in which her failure to include her financial relationship with Dan Guenther on her YR 2005 MD State Financial Disclosure Statement was prominently layed out. The complaint was dismissed in mid-November of 2006. Judge Kenney retired and gave up his post as Vice Chairman of the MD Judicial Ethics Committee in March of 2007. The MD Judicial Ethics Committee published opinion 2007-10 (http://www.courts.state.md.us/ethics/pdfs/2007_10.pdf) on September 25, 2007.
What is also disturbing, and you can see for yourself on the MD State Financial Disclosure Statements that I have attached, is that on her YR 2005 Statement, Abrams claimed $14,000 in wages on her Schedule E under Karen Abrams, P.C.. The next year, after the complaint was filed, Abrams removed the $14,000 from her Schedule E, and moved it to her Schedule I, which states: "Rent received from Daniel Guenther , Esquire for rental of 41620 Fenwick Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650 $14,400 annually." In other words, she not only omitted it from her YR 2005 Statement, she creatively claimed it under Karen Abrams, P.C., further camouflaging the omission.
www.theretainercheck.com
