The appearance of judges, lawyers and Blair County police officers at a prominent defense attorney's golf tournament - at which a fight broke out - raises the question of whether the boundaries have been blurred or crossed, rendering an impartial criminal justice system less impartial.
Blair County Judge Hiram A. Carpenter teaches ethics to Blair County employees and spent six years on the Supreme Court's Judicial Ethics Committee.
He is the first to admit that judicial ethics is a tough issue.
When it comes to judges and others in the court system mixing it up at a golf outing, Carpenter said, he suspects opinions would vary depending on which county the judges and lawyers reside in.
Judges and lawyers in bigger counties may say it's no big deal, but in smaller counties where people know each other on a more casual basis, it could be, he said.
Judges must follow a code of judicial conduct and while those canons don't address whether it's ethical to attend a party with lawyers and police officers, the code does state, ''An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society. Judges should participate in establishing, maintaining and enforcing, and should themselves observe high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved.''
Carpenter said ethics is something that judges must consider in their social activities, business relationships and general activities.
If there is any question about the ethics of attending an event, he said, a judge can request advice from the member of the judicial Ethics Committee in his area.
The ethics of being part of the justice system requires some sacrifice, Carpenter said.
''It doesn't mean you can go to a party or you can't go to a party. You should be thoughtful about it,'' he said Wednesday.
Defense attorney Dickey held a golf outing July 16 at the Scotch Valley Country club, followed by a dinner at his Hickory Hill home.
Dickey said it was attended by 100 to 115 people including two Cambria County judges, members of the Blair County District Attorney's office, and police officers from local departments. No Blair County judges attended, with at least two saying they didn't even know about the event.
A fight broke out, with one of the officers attending the affair being struck by a beer bottle, resulting in his transfer to the hospital for emergency treatment.
A criminology professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania doesn't believe representatives of different areas of the court system attending a party makes the system seem less impartial.
''I know of no ethical statement that prevents judges, law enforcement and attorneys from gathering together,'' Dr. Paul McCauley said Wednesday. ''This is not fraternizing with the enemy. You're all in the same business. I guess I'm somewhat naive, but as a general statement, I trust them.''
Dickey sponsored his tournament for the last three years. He charged a $100 fee that covered the round of golf at Scotch Valley Country Club in Hollidaysburg and an after-tournament party at his Frankstown Township home.
According to a model code of conduct formulated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, officers shall not engage in any conduct or activities on- or off-duty that reflect discredit on the officers, tend to bring the law enforcement agency into disrepute, or impair the agency's efficient and effective operation.
''Attorneys will fight like crazy against each other in court and then go out together to have a beer. They have a job to do,'' McCauley said.
Public perception may be quite different from the reality of a situation, McCauley said.
''It's very much like the fear of crime. Often people think there is crime in their neighborhood when in fact, there is no crime,'' he said.
Blair County Judge Elizabeth Doyle Wednesday said judges are prohibited from attending political events or engaging in fundraising but otherwise, she said, it is up to each judge to decide what is proper, or what has the appearance of impropriety.
Judges don't step into a vacuum, she said.
They have friends, and other relationships when they enter office.
In some cases, this means they must recuse themselves from cases in which they have an interest or know the participants, she said.
Mirror Staff Writer Mark Leberfinger is at 946-7462. Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.
