NJ Supreme Court Refuses to Punish Part-Time Municipal Court Judge for His Law Firm's Political Campaign Donations
A recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision serves as a wake-up call to part-time municipal court judges and the law firms which employ them: Do not use the law firm’s checking account to make political contributions. In In the Matter of Philip N. Boggia , Judge of The Municipal Court, (D-118-08)(July 27, 2010), the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct (“ACJC”) found by clear and convincing evidence that Philip N. Boggia, a part-time municipal court judge for the Borough of Moonachie, NJ and a practicing lawyer who is partner in his own law firm, violated Canon 7A(4) of the Code of Judicial Conduct and Rules 2:15-8(a) (5) and (6) of the New Jersey Court Rules because his law firm made political contributions to several local Democratic organizations. Canon 7A(4) of the NJ Code of Judicial Conduct states that “[A] judge shall not . . . solicit funds for or pay an assessment or make a contribution to a political organization or candidate, or purchase tickets for politic