Guideline for Tenet Six

APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY

Court employees are expected to refrain from engaging not only in improper behavior, but also in behavior that others might perceive to be improper. Any activity that gives the impression that court employees can be improperly influenced in the performance of their official duties is prohibited. A court employee should not, for example, seek or provide special consideration regarding traffic citations or parking violations; openly discussing the merits of cases pending before the court; or be overly solicitous to litigants or counsel, which could give the appearance of preferential treatment. To gauge the propriety of an action, consider how it would be reported in tomorrow's newspaper. Bear in mind that court employees are required to live up to a higher standard of ethical behavior than the general public.