The Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee ruled that an appointed district court commissioner cannot work concurrently as a real estate agent.
In an opinion published by the state’s judicial ethics committee, a district court commissioner may not work as a real estate agent as their secondary employment, due to concerns about “the appearance of impropriety.” The ethics committee found that secondary employment as a real estate agent, by a district court commissioner could violate the Maryland Code of Conduct for Judicial Appointees if the commissioner, as a real estate agent, deals directly with potential clients and receives a commission from a real estate sale.
District Court Commissioners have three major responsibilities:
- Reviewing Applications for Statement of Charges to determine whether probable cause exists to issue charging documents
- Conducting initial appearance hearings on arrested individuals to decide the conditions of pre-trial release
- Determining eligibility of applicants for Office of the Public Defender services
The potential to receive discretionary money from someone who could come under the purview of a district court commissioner in fulfilling their appointed role was cause for concern by the committee.
