Canon 2. Judges should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all their activities.

 A.  Judges should respect and comply with the law and should conduct themselves at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

 B.  Judges should not allow their family, social, or other relationships to influence their judicial conduct or judgment. They should not lend the prestige of their office to advance the private interests of others; nor should they convey or knowingly permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence the judge. Judges should not testify voluntarily as a character witness.

   Official Note

   Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. Judges must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. They must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny. They must therefore accept restrictions on their conduct that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should do so freely and willingly.

   The testimony of judges as character witnesses injects the prestige of their office into the proceeding in which they testify and may be misunderstood to be official testimonial. This Canon, however, does not afford them a privilege against testifying in response to an official summons.