Judge Law and Legal Definition
A judge is a government official with authority to decide lawsuits brought before courts. The judge in a case decides questions of law, as well as questions of fact in a non-jury trial. In a trial, the judge performs various functions, such as deciding what evidence is admissible and instructing the jury on how to apply the law based upon the facts presented.
Judges are subject to certain ethical standards and have a duty to be impartial. Standards of conduct are defined by state law, but they generally require a judge to avoid appearances of impropriety, such as avoiding deciding a dispute in which the judge is personally involved in the issue at stake or has a relationship to one of the parties.
The following is an example of a Federal Statute defining the term Judge:
According to 28 USCS § 451the term judge of the United States includes “ judges of the courts of appeals, district courts, Court of International Trade and any court created by Act of Congress, the judges of which are entitled to hold office during good behavior.”
