Canon 6. A judge should regularly file reports of his financial interests

Canons of Judicial Ethics

Canon 6.

A judge should regularly file reports of his financial interests.

A judge may receive compensation and reimbursement of expenses for the

quasijudicial and extra-judicial activities permitted by these canons, if the source of such

payments does not give the appearance of influencing the judge in his judicial duties or

otherwise give the appearance of impropriety, subject to the following restrictions:

A.

COMPENSATION. Compensation should not exceed a reasonable amount, nor

should it exceed what a person who is not a judge would receive for the same activity.

B.

EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT. Expense reimbursement should be limited to the

actual cost of travel, food, and lodging reasonably incurred by the judge and, where

appropriate to the occasion, by his spouse. Any payment in excess of such an amount is

compensation.

C.

DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL INTEREST.

(1)

A judge or a candidate for judicial office, at the time prescribed in Chapter 25

of Title 36 of the Alabama Code of 1975, shall file as a public document a "statement of

economic interests" on the form prepared and prescribed by the Alabama Ethics

Commission or its successor and shall disclose his or her economic interests as other state

officers or candidates are required to disclose by any state ethics law.

(2)

A judge, at the time he or she takes the oath of office and on or before April 30

of each year thereafter, shall file a "disclosure statement of financial interests" with the Clerk

of the Supreme Court. The disclosure statement of financial interests shall contain a list of

the names of proprietorships, companies, corporations, and/or partnerships in which he or

she owns a financial interest and a list of the names of creditors to whom he or she owes

money.

efore April 30

of each year thereafter, shall file a "disclosure statement of financial interests" with the Clerk

of the Supreme Court. The disclosure statement of financial interests shall contain a list of

the names of proprietorships, companies, corporations, and/or partnerships in which he or

she owns a financial interest and a list of the names of creditors to whom he or she owes

money.

(a)

The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall keep the disclosure

statement in a confidential format that is accessible by only the Clerk. A judge

may either file a completed and signed paper version of his or her disclosure

statement with the Clerk of the Supreme Court or complete and file the

disclosure statement electronically with the Clerk of the Supreme Court and sign

that statement using an electronic signature pursuant to Rule 30(G), Ala. R. Jud.

Admin.

(b)

Any lawyer or litigant desiring to inquire as to a judge's possible

conflict of interest in a case in which the lawyer or litigant is involved may do so

by contacting the Clerk of the Supreme Court, who shall conduct an in camera

review of the judge's disclosure statement of financial interests. If it is clear from

the face of the judge's disclosure statement of financial interests that no conflict

exists, this fact shall be made known to the lawyer or litigant making the inquiry.

If it appears to the Clerk of the Supreme Court that a conflict may exist, this fact

shall be brought to the attention of the judge and the lawyer or litigant making

the inquiry, and the judge shall forthwith make a

determination whether his or her recusal is required by law.

[Amended 6-5-79, eff. 6-30-79, Amended 6-12-2024; Amended 10-30-2024, eff. 1-1-2025.]

Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending Canon 3.A(5) and

Canon 6.C., Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics, effective June 12, 2024, is published

in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from __ So. 3d

make a

determination whether his or her recusal is required by law.

[Amended 6-5-79, eff. 6-30-79, Amended 6-12-2024; Amended 10-30-2024, eff. 1-1-2025.]

Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending Canon 3.A(5) and

Canon 6.C., Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics, effective June 12, 2024, is published

in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from __ So. 3d.

Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending Canon 6.C., Alabama

Canons of Judicial Ethics, effective January 1, 2025, is published in that volume of Alabama

Reporter that contains Alabama cases from __ So. 3d.