Law Blog Ethics Quiz: A Judge’s Birthday Celebration
John “Junior” Gotti led a “Happy Birthday” serenade for Judge Shira Scheindlin yesterday during his criminal trial in federal court in Manhattan. Gotti helped the federal judge celebrate her 60th along with crooning prosecutors, a defense lawyer and court personnel. Gotti and Scheindlen have spent a lot of time together — this is his third racketeering trial, with two previous juries failing to reach a verdict. Here’s the story from the New York Post story, “‘Junior’ Sings Soprano.”
Legal experts reportedly criticized Scheindlin for allowing the mini-celebration and raised eyebrows at the fact that the courtroom was closed to the public during the concert. Though not a major legal ethics violation, said Georgetown law professor David Luban, “I think she ought to have stopped it. It casts doubt on the judge’s own partiality if the judge allow the defendant to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’” New York lawyer Chris Murray called it “bizarre” and “inappropriate.”
Judicial Ethics Quiz: Should Judge Scheindlin have allowed Junior to serenade her?
