2008-04 (September 17, 2008)
Gifts; Social Activities; Ordinary Social Hospitality; Canons 2 & 5 

Issue:  May a Judicial Official attend a sold-out baseball game with an attorney friend using tickets obtained by the attorney’s law firm and in circumstances where the Judicial Official will pay for his/her ticket and where the firm (but not the attorney) has previously had cases and is expected to have future cases before the Judicial Official?    

Response:  Based upon the facts presented, including that the attorney friend does not appear before the Judicial Official, that other members of the firm will not be present with the attorney and Judicial Official at the game, and that there are not frequent transactions between the firm and the Judicial Official, the Committee unanimously agreed that the Judicial Official could attend the game if the Judicial Official purchased the ticket at the higher of the face-value or what the firm paid for the ticket.