Rule 16-802 Judicial and legal officials.

Lawyers cannot lie about judges or legal officials. This rule says a lawyer cannot make false statements about the qualifications or honesty of a judge, court officer, public legal officer, or someone running for a judicial or legal position. The lawyer breaks this rule if they know the statement is false, or if they don't bother to check whether it's true before saying it.

This rule protects the reputation of judges and legal officials from lawyers spreading lies or reckless accusations. It doesn't stop lawyers from making honest criticism or raising real concerns about a judge's conduct. It only stops them from making things up or ignoring the truth to attack someone's character.

The second part of this rule applies to lawyers who decide to run for a judicial position themselves. If a lawyer becomes a candidate for judge, they must follow the rules laid out in the Code of Judicial Conduct, which sets separate standards for how judicial candidates should act during their campaign.