Ethics committee: No judge lunch auctions

LAS VEGAS, July 7 (UPI) -- Nevada's judicial ethics committee said a non-profit research organization may not auction off luncheon dates with District Court judges.

The Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices said the planned silent auction by an unidentified research organization, which several judges were invited to participate in, is "fraught (with) ethical peril," the Las Vegas Sun reported Wednesday.

The committee said the auction is problematic because judges can't control who purchases the lunch dates, leaving open the possibility of bids from people with legal matters before the judge.

Dan Reaser, chairman of the committee and a private attorney based in Reno, said the auction could lead to "actual or perceived questions as to judicial independence or impartiality."

"Likewise, the judge cannot control the amount bid for the luncheon event with the judge, which in itself risks the public trust by suggesting that access to a judge, even if only social and for good purpose, is something that can be auctioned for any reason," Reaser said.