Judicial Speech and the First Amendment

Hofstra University hosted a three-day conference on judicial ethics. A panel on judicial speech and the First Amendment featured speeches by Judges Jackson and Spargo who recently were involved in ethical incidents. Judge Jackson’s ruling in a case against Microsoft was reversed and a new trial ordered after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found his conversations with the media were improper even though they were not published until the trial was over. Misconduct charges were brought against Justice Spargo after he demonstrated with other Republican activists outside a courtroom in Dade County, Florida during the 2000 presidential election recount. The other panelists took part in the audience question-and-answer period. close