Opinion 88-162

January 12,1989

Topic:          Town justice serving as treasurer of a private rod and gun club.

Digest:         A town justice may serve as an officer of a private rod and gun club and may have his name appear on the club’s liquor license, but must disqualify himself if any matters involving the club come before him.

Rules:          22 NYCRR § 100.5 (b).

Opinion:

         A town justice inquires whether he may serve as treasurer of a rod and gun club, and have his name appear on the club’s liquor license.

         Section 100.5 (b) of the Rules of the Chief Administrator provides that a judge may serve as an officer of a non-political organization, provided the organization is not regularly engaged in adversary proceedings in court, and the judge does not engage in fundraising activities for the organization. Here, the judge may serve as treasurer of the local rod and gun club, provided that if any case relating to the club should come before the judge, he must recuse himself from presiding over such case. (See, opinion 88-28 of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics).