Opinion 89-57

May 25, 1989

Topic:          Judge to service as a volunteer bingo worker at civic center to support hockey league.

Digest:         A judge may not serve as a volunteer bingo worker at a civic center to support a hockey league because such service constitutes impermissible participation in fundraising activity.

Rules:          22 NYCRR 100.1, 100.2, 100.5(b)(2)

Opinion: 

         A part-time judge ask whether it is permissible to volunteer in one of several capacities to work at bingo games held in a local civic center to raise funds to support a local children’s hockey league.

         The Committee concludes that the judge may not so serve. In Opinion 87-20 the Committee held that working at bingo is incompatible with the standards required of a judge (22 NYCRR 100.1, 100.2) and violates at least the spirit of 22 NYCRR 100.5(b)(2) which prohibits a judge from participating in the solicitation of funds for any educational, religious, charitable, fraternal or civic organization, and this would include a children’s sports league. All of the several different duties that the judge could undertake at and during the bingo games would constitute impermissible participation in that fundraising activity.