Home › Indiana › Code of Judicial Conduct › Rule 2.14

Rule 2.14 14: Disability and Impairment

Canon 2: A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently

← Previous Rule 2.13: 13: Hiring and Administrative Appointments Next → Rule 2.15: 15: Responding to Judicial and Lawyer Misconduct

Rule Text

A judge having a reasonable belief that the performance of a lawyer or another judge is impaired by drugs or alcohol, or by a mental, emotional, or physical condition, shall take appropriate action, which may include a confidential referral to a lawyer or judicial assistance program.

Amendment history: Effective March 1, 1993

Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)

This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.

If a judge notices that a lawyer or another judge seems impaired by drugs, alcohol, or a mental, emotional, or physical condition, the judge has to do something about it. This means the judge can't just ignore signs that someone's ability to do their job is affected by these issues.

The judge has some flexibility in how to handle it, but the response has to make sense given the situation. One option is to quietly refer the person to a lawyer assistance program or a similar support service for judges. This keeps the matter private while still getting the person help.

The main point of this rule is to protect people involved in court cases. If a lawyer or judge is impaired, it could affect how well they do their job, which could hurt the people relying on them. This rule pushes judges to step in early, using private and supportive options when possible, rather than waiting until the problem gets worse or causes real harm to a case.

Committee Notes

Comment

[1] “Appropriate action” means action intended and reasonably likely to help the judge or lawyer in question address the problem and prevent harm to the justice system. Depending upon the circumstances, appropriate action may include but is not limited to speaking directly to the impaired person, notifying an individual with supervisory responsibility over the impaired person, or making a referral to an assistance program.

[2] Taking or initiating corrective action by way of referral to an assistance program may satisfy a judge's responsibility under this Rule. Assistance programs have many approaches for offering help to impaired judges and lawyers, such as intervention, counseling, or referral to appropriate health care professionals. Depending upon the gravity of the conduct that has come to the judge's attention, however, the judge may be required to take other action, such as reporting the impaired judge or lawyer to the appropriate authority, agency, or body. See Rule 2.15.

← Previous Rule 2.13: 13: Hiring and Administrative Appointments Next → Rule 2.15: 15: Responding to Judicial and Lawyer Misconduct

Cross-References

Referenced By (1)

Ind. Code Jud. Cond. Terminology

This Rule Set

View All Ind. Code Jud. Cond. Rules

Last updated: August 2026

Report an error