Author Topic: Judges can't be funny in New Jersey  (Read 1866 times)

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Offline dpareja

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Judges can't be funny in New Jersey
« on: September 19, 2013, 06:42:33 pm »
(Not sure if this belongs here or in S&H)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/new-jersey-high-court-rules-against-joking-judge-1.1860199

Quote
This one-liner probably won't make it into Vince Sicari's standup act.

New Jersey's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Sicari, a part-time municipal judge, to step down from the bench if he wants to continue moonlighting as a comedian and actor.

"The judge's acting and comedy career is incompatible with the Code of Judicial Conduct and therefore he may not serve as a municipal court judge while continuing with that career," the court wrote in a unanimous 7-0 opinion.

...

"In the course of his routines, Sicari has demeaned certain people based on national origin and religion and has revealed his political leanings," according to the court's opinion. "The court cannot ignore the distinct possibility that a person who has heard a routine founded on humour disparaging certain ethnic groups and religions will not be able to readily accept that the judge before whom he or she appears can maintain the objectivity and impartiality that must govern all municipal court proceedings."

A state ethics board recommended in 2008 that Sicari quit his comedy work, expressing concern over his character depictions on the ABC reality show and the potential content of his sketches.

So, yeah. Apparently the only humour allowed from the bench is the laughable sentences they give.
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Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Judges can't be funny in New Jersey
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2013, 10:31:24 pm »
In the words of Voltaire: Its a place named after a sweatshirt, what more can you expect, sir?
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Offline Sylvana

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Re: Judges can't be funny in New Jersey
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2013, 04:04:58 am »
I actually feel that the situation is justified to a degree.
A judge by their nature should be held to a higher standard.
As such They should not be allowed to have an additional job because that creates a conflict of interest. Similarly the reasons the provided can cause significant legal hurdles. Any future defendants found guilty by that judge will basically be given free room to appeal based on the notion that the judge has a recorded bias regardless of the facts behind the conviction.

On the other hand, I am aware that no judge can truly not be biased, and that they should all strive to remain as professional and neutral as possible. As such a judge who is also a comedian should be able to put his feelings aside in the course of his judicial activities as much as any other judge does with their own biases.

Offline Yla

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Re: Judges can't be funny in New Jersey
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2013, 06:20:12 am »
The gist I'm reading from this is that the board has a problem with the specific content of his routines and sketches, not the acting per se.
That said, I've stopped trying to anticipate what people around here want a while ago, I've found it makes things smoother.
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