back to article Florida judges banned from 'friending' lawyers on Facebook

Florida judges are barred from becoming Facebook friends with local lawyers because the online relation implies they're BFFs in RL, the Sunshine State's legal ethics board has decided. In November, the Florida Supreme Court's Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee determined that judges cannot include lawyers as friends on certain …

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  1. Goat Jam
    Grenade

    Well, yeah?

    "the online relation implies they're BFFs in Real Life"

    So, banning them from stupidly announcing that fact achieves what exactly?

    Oh, that's right, it maintains the plausible deniability of their corrupt relationships.

    Right. Got it.

    1. Eddy Ito

      Exactly

      It isn't the impropriety itself that matters only the appearance of impropriety.

  2. SuperTim

    Pointless?

    As if lawyers actually have friends!

    This is like saying deaf people are not allowed to listen to music or that women cannot have a vasectomy.

    Besides, preventing a listing on facebook will not stop the backhanders will it.

    Still, i applaud the effort.

  3. Andrew Moore

    BFF???

    I'm seeing this everywhere- I presume it does not stand for "Big Fat Fuck" anymore.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

      The internets say that it means "best friends forever". And the internets do not lie.

  4. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!

    "no more intimate than a handshake"

    A damned sight less intimate from what I've seen on these things.

    Walked past someone at a bus stop three years ago? Of course they're a "friend"! Once went to a concert that someone else wanted to go to but didn't? Damned straight they're a "friend"!

  5. Swarthy
    Thumb Up

    From What I See

    this restriction is aimed at the judges, but it's supposed to affect the lawyers. If a lawyer has any association with a judge (even something as vague as a "friendship" on Facebook) then the lawyer can claim in their advertising to know the judge, thus drawing business.

    Then there is the slight chance that they may post something that the judge will read while not thinking as a judge, and therefore less critical. A true artist of social manipulation (which describes a lot of lawyers) could effect a change in a case using FB, etc.

  6. Mr Pedantic
    Headmaster

    Adjective indeed

    That's funny. I thought "friending" was the present continuous of "to friend", which is a verb.

    Shows you how much I know! Now where's my copy of "Far From The Friending Crowd"? :)

  7. Rajib
    Gates Halo

    what about transparency?

    In my humble opinion, Facebook is like LinkedIn with lionshare of interesting applications. Many organizations use the facebook tool for professional networking only after running into limitation in choice of option on LinkedIn.

    I would not be surprised if some of the friend of the judges have never met them in real life or barely exchanged 1 or 2 emails. Being listed as a friend is nothing more than a mere professional courtesy. If the opposing council has an issue then he should ask the judge for permission to friend them. That way he can be in the loop.

    The fact that the judges show a lawyer as friend in their facebook profile show transparency. I'd be more worried if I didn't know of the connection.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    @Goat Jam

    No silly! It maintains the illusion of a functioning judicial system in a country that doesn't have one. When OJ is walking free and underage girls are getting charged with felonies for taking a cell phone vid in a movie theater, you're doin' it wrong! Fail for our judicial system, anyone that's been chewed up by it can attest it's anything but fair or impartial.

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