Judges and the Media

Waymaker

Civic Education

Sandra Day O’Connor, Retired Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Ruth McGregor, Retired Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court

By Judge Elizabeth R. Finn

Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth McGregor have a few things in common: They both hail from Arizona, they both overcame many hurdles and became prominent legal figures in the 1970s, and they both have helped advance the judiciary in terms of civics education and promoting diversity.

Features

Ethics

Humiliated, Undermined, Weakened: Judges and Journalists Discuss If Efforts to Discredit Them Foreshadow Dark Days Ahead for American Democracy

By Ed Cohen

In December 2018, the National Judicial College organized a symposium for judges and journalists to come together and discuss the importance of the judiciary’s interactions with the media, recent attacks on the media, and how both groups ought to respond to protect our democracy.

Ethics

The View from Oz

By Justice François Kunc

Justice Kunc highlights some similarities and differences between the Australian and American judicial systems, with a focus on how both countries perceive judges talking to the media, judges in the media, judges’ impact on the media, and judges’ use of social media.

Ethics

To Post or Not to Post: Judges on Social Media

By Judge Peter M. Reyes Jr.

Judge Reyes discusses the challenges involved with and the importance of judges interacting with the media. He concludes by offering several points of guidance for judges when using social media.

Ethics

Stumbling Online

By Cynthia Gray

Judges’ mistakes using social media have resulted in a number of judicial discipline cases in the last decade. Gray provides examples of these cases, pointing out where judges went wrong, and provides suggestions for how judges can educate themselves on the rules of using social media appropriately.

Ethics

Resisting Shiny Trinkets in This New Digital Age: Judicial Interaction with Media Platforms

By Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. and Jonathan M. Warren

Through various platforms, the news is being updated constantly. And the ability to post content is basically limitless. Judges should exercise caution when using social media, as it could result in damage to their reputation and employment status. Even worse, their missteps could contribute to degraded public confidence in the judiciary.

Technology Column

Courts & Judiciary

Deepfakes: More Frightening Than Photoshop on Steroids

By Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. (Ret.)

Judge Dixon asks whether the saying “seeing is believing” will lose its meaning as he discusses deepfake technology and its possible effects on election campaigns, business interests, and video evidence in courtrooms.

Ethics Column

Courts & Judiciary

Judicial Ethics, Impartiality, and the Media

By Marla N. Greenstein

When judges explore their relationship and comfort with the media and are aware of their courts’ guidelines for dealing with the media, they can have a meaningful media presence that informs the public and maintains the impartiality of the judiciary.

American Bar Association TM American Bar Association

Judges and the Media

How Judges Can Adapt to Changing Media

Waymaker

Sandra Day O’Connor, Retired Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Ruth McGregor, Retired Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court

Features

Humiliated, Undermined, Weakened: Judges and Journalists Discuss If Efforts to Discredit Them Foreshadow Dark Days Ahead for American Democracy

The View from Oz

To Post or Not to Post: Judges on Social Media

Stumbling Online

Resisting Shiny Trinkets in This New Digital Age: Judicial Interaction with Media Platforms

Technology Column

Deepfakes: More Frightening Than Photoshop on Steroids

Ethics Column

Judicial Ethics, Impartiality, and the Media