ABBY LIPOLD , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Pulitzer winner returns to the University of Pittsburgh for forum on Supreme Court ethics
"Mr. Murphy said about half of the readers of his series thought “there was an obvious breach in propriety,” but the other half thought the issue wasn’t worth reporting on."
American Psychological Association (APA); APA names new chief of ethics
"The American Psychological Association has named Lindsay Childress-Beatty, JD, PhD, as its new chief of ethics, recognizing her 20-plus years of ethics work at APA.
“Dr. Lindsay Childress-Beatty brings a wealth of experience to this position, having served as the head of the ethics adjudication team before becoming interim ethics director in 2017,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, in announcing the appointment. “She brings a future-oriented, strategic vision and strong leadership to move the association’s ethical work forward.”
Childress-Beatty provided strategic vision and leadership, administrative oversight and operational management of the Ethics Office as it underwent a period of transition. She has worked closely with the Ethics Committee and its ethics code task force, guiding the association through its most recent revision of its Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, one of the most widely cited professional ethics codes among associations. She has presented on ethics at national and international psychology conferences, as well as association, medical and multidisciplinary legal conferences, and provides consultations on psychological and organizational ethics.
“I am gratified for the opportunity to be a part of this new era of ethics at APA,” Childress-Beatty said. “The pairing of psychology and ethics can provide meaningful guidance regarding the impact of new technologies on society, while a new ethics code will guide the future work of the discipline of psychology while ensuring that the public understands psychologists’ commitment to transparent, ethical behavior based on clear values.”
Nina Totenberg, NPR; Supreme Court ethics v. pride, prejudice and political movers and shakers
"The annual cascade of Supreme Court decisions this week will make lots of headlines, but polls show that Americans of all political stripes are increasingly troubled by the lack of a code of ethics for the high court.
Chief Justice John Roberts has more than once said the court is working on an ethics code for itself, but so far, crickets.
Meanwhile, investigative reporters are finding that Supreme Court conduct is rich ground to plow."
Matthew Crowley, Poynter; Why doesn’t the Supreme Court have a formal code of ethics?
"Enforcement questions
Steven Lubet, an emeritus law professor at Northwestern University, said enforcing any code would be challenging.
“There is no enforcement mechanism in the current … situation, in which the justices say they voluntarily follow gift disclosure and other rules,” Lubet said.
Stephen Gillers, a professor emeritus at the New York University School of Law, wondered whether the court would accept a code and whether Roberts would enforce it if the justices objected to its tenets.
“What buy-in would the court need to adopt a code that binds all justices?,” he asked. “Who would enforce it? Lower court judges whose opinions the justices review? Not likely to work. Or will the court as a whole pass on the conduct of a fellow justice? Will that be credible?”
Gillers said he doubted the recent outcry over Thomas would force the court to change.
“Six months ago, I would have rated it as very unlikely (1 in 20) that the court will adopt its own code; I think the Court would not want to be seen to react to public pressure,” he said. “Now, after the latest Thomas story, I think it is just unlikely (1 in 4/5) but increasingly possible.”"
Dustin Jones, NPR ; Roberts invited to testify at Senate hearing on Supreme Court ethics
"The chair of the Senate Judiciary committee has invited Chief Justice John Roberts to testify at a hearing next month focused on the ethical rules governing the Supreme Court as well as potential changes to those guidelines.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. said in a letter to Roberts on Thursday that recent reports found the justices are "falling short" of the ethical standards they and other public servants are supposed to follow.
"The status quo is no longer tenable," Durbin wrote.
The call for Roberts' testimony comes at a turbulent time for the court and its members. Concerns surrounding the lifetime appointees involve Justice Clarence Thomas, who, according to an investigation by ProPublica, failed to disclose 20 years of luxury trips with billionaire and Republican donor Harlan Crow."
Jorgelina Manna-Rea, 1A, WAMU, NPR; Clarence Thomas, undisclosed luxury trips, and Supreme Court ethics
"Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been on the bench for almost 32 years. For more than 25 of those years, he’s been close with a billionaire Republican donor.
A ProPublica investigation found that Justice Thomas went on luxury trips with Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow for 20 years and did not include them on his financial disclosures. He frequently took trips on Crow’s private jet and yacht. One such excursion in 2019 was worth $500,000.
Justice Thomas said he consulted with his colleagues at the beginning of his tenure on the court. It was his understanding that he didn’t need to report “personal hospitality from close personal friends.”
Harlan Crow’s companies also bought Georgia real estate from Justice Thomas which was also not disclosed. Four ethics law experts told ProPublica this was a violation of a federal disclosure law passed after Watergate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans on holding a hearing to discuss the Supreme Court’s ethical standards.
If there isn’t a Supreme Court code of ethics, what rules govern what its justices can do, or who they can have relationships with? We put together a panel to discuss."
Nina Totenberg, NPR; Outside groups take a first stab at a Supreme Court ethics code
"The recommendations
It recommends "clear and more stringent guidelines for recusal, prohibitions against conduct that creates an appearance of partiality, rigorous obligations for disclosure, and standards for transparent decision-making."In particular, for instance, the model code would require justices to disqualify themselves from cases involving not only financial entanglements of family members, but lobbying activities of would-be litigants involved in a justice's confirmation. And it would bar close family members from engaging in political or other activity that presents the appearance of partisanship.
The proposed code would go further than the existing code for lower court judges, which bars participation in political activities. The proposal would also bar Supreme Court justices from appearing before groups with partisan or ideological agendas, groups like the conservative Federalist Society or the liberal American Constitution Society. And it would recognize that certain political activities by a spouse or other close family members would require justices to recuse themselves."
RAMIN SKIBBA , Wired; What Will Ethical Space Exploration Look Like?
"If you were to summarize a code of ethics for space, what main principles would you include?
One very key point is to get as many different kinds of people involved in the conversation as possible. Let’s get the social scientists involved, people who have been working on these problems, and activists in these areas. That also includes people from different cultures, because conversations about settling in space and space mining and such have been dominated by a certain subculture that’s Western and capitalistic and all of those dominant categories. But there are so many more people on the planet who should and can contribute a lot to the conversation."
Editorial Board, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer; Does the U.S. Supreme Court need an ethics code? Editorial Board Roundtable
"So, is a Supreme Court ethics code needed? If so, should Congress impose one? The Editorial Board Roundtable offers its rulings."
Glenn Fine, The Atlantic; The Supreme Court Needs Real Oversight
"A series of recent events at the Supreme Court threatens to undermine trust and confidence in the institution and demonstrates the need for it to have a code of ethics and for better oversight within the judiciary...
First, a code of judicial ethics should apply to Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court should explicitly state that the Judicial Code of Conduct applies to it, or implement a modified code that does.
Second, the justices should be more transparent about their recusal decisions. They should explain the reasoning for their decisions to recuse, or not to recuse, themselves in significant cases.
Third, the judiciary as a whole should be subject to inspector-general oversight—to investigate alleged misconduct and to promote efficiency throughout the judiciary’s administrative operations, not to second-guess any judicial opinion. An experienced, permanent, internal judiciary inspector general, potentially reporting to the chief justice, could be structured to ensure that the judiciary maintains its institutional independence but employs more effective oversight.
In short, the Court needs to assure the public that it is governed by ethical rules and that each justice is not voluntarily judging his or her own compliance with ethical requirements. Supreme Court justices are not above the law or ethical rules. The Court’s failure to adopt an ethical code and its resistance to oversight risk further decline in public trust and confidence."
ASHLEY LAND, Comic Book Resources ; Kingdom Come Highlighted The Importance of Superhero Ethics
"Kingdom Come's depiction of the brash and unchecked younger heroes' recklessness and how without responsibility, power can become destructive is also a reminder of the famous Spider-Man code. The rapid devolution and anarchy that took place in the absence of Superman and Batman's well known "no killing" code showed readers why there are lines that superheroes should never cross. With many casual fans questioning why Batman doesn't simply kill Joker or why Superman doesn't kill Lex Luthor, this series serves as an excellent answer to those questions. Once superheroes turn themselves into judges, juries and executioners, they immediately risk becoming destructive tyrants."
Nate Raymond, Reuters; Federal judge takes rare step of backing U.S. Supreme Court ethics code
"Senior U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton told attendees of a conference in Chicago focused on threats to the independence of the courts that it was "unimaginable that we have a segment of our federal judiciary that's not subject to an ethics code.""
"That integrity can be strengthened if the Supreme Court adopted a code of ethics that would help justices navigate potential instances of undue influence and other judicial tripwires.
Like umpires, the Supreme Court may not be infallible in our democracy but its judgments are final. If justices cannot display independence from outside influences, then perhaps a code of ethics can restore the confidence and trust in the body that as begun to wane among an increasing number of Americans."
Bob Bauer, The Atlantic; The Supreme Court Needs an Ethics Code
"What the leak episode showed, however, is that, without formal, published ethical rules and standards, the very nature of a problem such as the Roe leak will elude clear public explanation. The chief justice faltered in explaining the seriousness of this incident; so did a number of commentators. Justice Thomas’s public comments merely served to further muddy the picture of the state of ethics at the Court.
This has all served to illustrate the importance of an ethics code for the Court—and to underscore the urgent need for the justices to adopt one."
Sarah Mearhoff , VTDigger; After years in committee limbo, a statewide ethics code is finally adopted in Vermont
"Gov. Phil Scott signed into law Vermont’s first-ever statewide code of ethics for public officials on Tuesday, putting to rest a yearslong debate in the Statehouse and bringing Vermont in line with a majority of other states.
S.171 establishes a baseline code of ethics for public officials in the legislative, executive and judiciary branches of state government. It sets boundaries around conflicts of interest, preferential treatment, gifts, outside employment, the use of state employment for personal gain and more. It also protects whistleblowers from retaliation.
Upon signing the bill, Scott said in a statement Tuesday that it “takes a positive step towards ensuring public trust in their elected officials.”"
Georgia Tech; Georgia Tech Introduces Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics is a living document that is a tool to help employees navigate ethical decisions they may face.
"Georgia Tech’s Office of Ethics and Compliance is excited to introduce a Code of Ethics, a resource to support employees as they navigate decision making at Georgia Tech. The Code of Ethics is aligned with the Institute’s nine strategic values and a culture of ethics.
When developing the Code of Ethics, the Office of Ethics and Compliance assembled a working group of faculty and staff stakeholders to share their subject matter expertise and review content. They worked to make the document easy to understand, eliminating legalese whenever possible. The code also includes visuals, such as flowcharts and other graphics, to make it visually appealing and reader friendly.
“The Code of Ethics is not a rule book or a policy. It is a living document that is a tool to help employees navigate ethical decisions they may face,” said Sally Robertson, senior counsel in the Office of Ethics and Compliance. “And while it can't tell you what to do in every situation, it can provide a great starting point.”
Current employees are invited to attend the Code of Ethics Employee Celebration to be held Wednesday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tech Green. Attendees who download or obtain a hard copy of the Code of Ethics will receive a food truck voucher (limited to the first 100 attendees), a free t-shirt, or a free King of Pops popsicle (first come, first served as supplies last)."
Kay Nolan, The Washington Post; Atmospheric scientist loses honor, membership over ethics violation
American Meteorological Society expels physicist Timothy Dunkerton after offensive tweet as professional science groups grapple with how to confront harassment, discrimination
"The Post obtained a copy of an email sent privately by AMS Associate Executive Director Stephanie Armstrong to society members who had filed a formal complaint about the physicist’s behavior.
That email names Dunkerton and says he “violated two components of the AMS Code of Conduct: 1) Members shall carry out their activities with integrity and the highest ethical standards. 2) Members must treat all individuals with respect. Members must refrain from all forms of discrimination, harassment, and bullying in their professional encounters.”...
Erika MarÃn-Spiotta, a University of Wisconsin geography professor who holds “bystander training” workshops — which teach people ways to intervene when they see harassment or bullying — stressed the importance of disclosing incidents of misconduct to the broader community.
It “is important so that the community is aware that these behaviors are happening, they are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” she said.
Oltman-Shay, Dunkerton’s former boss, said this week: “I applaud the AMS for continuing to review their code of ethics. … It’s my hope that this will become an example to serve as caution to those who bully.”"
; Ginni and Clarence Thomas draw questions about Supreme Court ethics
"There are no explicit ethics guidelines that govern the activities of a justice's spouse, experts say, but there are rules about justices avoiding conflicts of interest. Federal law requires federal judges to recuse from cases whenever their "impartiality might reasonably be questioned."
Roth notes, however, that there is no independent enforcement mechanism in place; it's entirely up to the individual justice...
Members of Congress and outside experts say new enforceable ethics rules for the court are needed now more than ever. Even Chief Justice John Roberts acknowledged in his 2021 year-end report that "public trust is essential, not incidental" to the court's function.
But Roberts opposes outside efforts to impose a new ethics code."
