Opinion
D-92 September Term 2019
03-23-2020
In the MATTER OF Alberto RIVAS, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court
ORDER
The Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct having filed with the Court pursuant to Rule 2:15-15(a), a presentment recommending that Alberto Rivas, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court, be censured for violating Canon 1, Rule 1.1 ( requires judges to "participate in establishing, maintaining and enforcing, and ... [to] personally observe, high standards of conduct so [as to preserve] ... the integrity, impartiality and independence of the judiciary"); Canon 2, Rule 2.1 (requires judges to "act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and ... [to] avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety"); Canon 2, Rule 2.2 (requires judges to decide cases according to the law and the facts and to not permit family, social, political, financial or other relationships or interests influence their judicial conduct or judgment); Canon 3, Rule 3.5 (requires judges to be patient, dignified, and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers and others with whom the judge deals in an official capacity); Canon 3, Rule 3.6(A) (requires judges to be impartial and prohibits discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion/religious practices or observances, etc.); and Canon 3, Rule 3.6(C) (prohibits judges from manifesting, by words or conduct, any bias or prejudice, and from engaging in harassment on the bases specified in Rule 3.6(A), and from allowing their staff to do so);
And respondent having accepted the findings and recommendation for discipline of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct and having waived his right to the issuance of an Order to Show Cause and a hearing before the Supreme Court;
And good cause appearing;
It is ORDERED that the findings and recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct are adopted and Alberto Rivas, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court, is hereby censured.