Jurisdiction | City Ethics

Ethics Codes & Reform September 8, 2015

Legal Ethics Should Not Be Confused with Government Ethics

Many local government attorneys insist that government ethics laws should not apply to them because they are covered by legal ethics rules. In fact, some government ethics codes have express exceptions for attorneys. I have always insisted that the two are very separate and should not be confused with each other. A recent Ohio Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court decision shows how separate they are.

March 4, 2013

The Public Sea and Local Government Ethics Jurisdiction

Most of George Frederickson's lecture, "Searching for Virtue in the Public Life: Revisiting the Vulgar Ethics Thesis," involves what he calls "the modern extended state," the "vast public sea" in which governments float.

April 22, 2009

In Nevada Legislative Immunity Case, Oral Arguments Raise Some Serious Issues

The oral arguments before the Nevada Supreme Court in the Commission on Ethics v. Hardy appeal are now available in MP3 format, suitable for your media player.

It doesn't look as if the decision will be a good one for government ethics enforcement, certainly at the state level and, perhaps, at the local level, as well.

Enforcement & Complaints June 2, 2008

The Enforcement of Ethics Laws Against Local Government Legislators

The decision of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal in In re Arnold (May 23, 2008) causes serious problems with respect to ethics enforcement against local government legislators, at least in Louisiana. It opens up a can of worms that I haven't seen discussed (I'd appreciate being alerted to where it has been discussed).

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