Rule 3.12 Cooperation with Disciplinary Authorities

Judges are expected to work honestly with agencies that investigate judges and lawyers for misconduct. If a judge is contacted as part of an investigation, they need to answer truthfully and give full cooperation, not hide information or work around the process.

This rule also protects people who help with these investigations. A judge cannot punish or get back at someone, whether openly or in sneaky ways, just because that person helped or cooperated with an investigation into a judge or lawyer. This applies even if the judge only suspects someone was involved in the investigation, not just when they know for sure.

The point of this rule is to keep the discipline system honest and working properly. If judges could stonewall investigators or punish people who speak up, it would be much harder to hold judges and lawyers accountable for wrongdoing. This rule makes sure people feel safe coming forward and that judges take the investigation process seriously.