[stevem99]

But we're not talking about the judge knowing a lawyer involved in the case. Do you think a judge should try a case in a which a personal friend is on trial? If that's not a conflict of interest, what is?

[Mercat]

"Do you think a judge should try a case in a which a personal friend is on trial? If that's not a conflict of interest, what is?"

A trial judge probably should not because part of the job of a trial judge is to make findings of fact. An appellate judge rules on the law and theoretically, the law doesn't change. I actually had a case in which I was a party go up on appeal and one of the appellate judges on the panel was my son's godmother. She didn't recuse herself. It was not a factor because the law was what the law was and my being a party made no difference.