“If experience demands a presumption that a judge will seize everyopportunity presented to him in the course of his official conduct to line hispockets, no canon of ethics or statute regarding disqualification can save ourjudicial system.”—Justice William Rehnquist1
A judiciary without honesty has little chance of executingits moral andconstitutional duties, no matter how many rules of ethics exist. This isespecially true in the United States, where the judiciary is afforded widediscretion. Facts and law require interpretation; justice and equity requirejudgment. Every decision to grant a motion, to follow precedent, to interpret astatute or facts, to set a sentence or damages—every decision left up to thediscretion of a judge—is a potential opportunity for corruption.
Interesting article. It does discuss the Kids for Cash program in Pennsylvania.
