Judge May DJ Classic Rock

A recent opinion from the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee:

ISSUES

May a newly-appointed judge continue to host a  weekend radio program playing classic songs for a commercial radio station?

ANSWER: Yes, as long as the judge ensures that the judge’s hosting  duties do not demean the judicial office, the judge is not an employee of the  radio station and the judge does not personally participate in advertising  promotions.

The inquiring  judge has recently been appointed to the bench and prior to the appointment had  hosted a weekend radio program on a commercial radio station for many years.  The hosted program generally consisted of playing “classic hits” from the  1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s. The inquiring judge acted essentially as a disk  jockey – introducing songs, giving the weather, and dispensing music trivia  about the songs/artists played. 

During the  inquiring judge’s radio program, the radio station utilized pre-recorded  advertisements but the inquiring judge was not involved in the selling or  recording of such advertisements. Occasionally, advertising packages sold to  advertisers included the inquiring judge giving away a product or service to a  listener (e.g. the third caller wins a glass bottom boat ride from an  advertiser).

The inquiring  judge also received compensation from the radio station for his disk jockeying  duties in the amount of $20.00 per hour while in the studio “live” amounting to  $60.00 per week in compensation.

The inquiring judge recognizes the  applicable judicial canons raised by his inquiry and the Committee would like  to acknowledge the judge for his efforts in both providing the Committee with a  detailed factual basis outlining his inquiry and for his review of the Code of  Judicial Conduct and past opinions of the Committee.

Rock on! (Mike Frisch)