Rule 3.5

‘‘Contribution’’ means both financial and in-kind contributions, such as goods, professional or volunteer services, advertising, and other types of assistance, which, if obtained by the recipient otherwise, would require a financial expenditure. See Rules 2.11, 3.7, and 4.1. ‘‘De minimis,’’ in the context of interests per- taining to disqualification of a judge, means an insignificant interest that could not raise a reasonable question regarding the judge’s impartiality. See Rule 2.11. ‘‘Domestic partner’’ means a person with whom another person maintains a household and an intimate relationship, other than a spouse. See Rules 2.11, 2.13, 3.13, and 3.14. ‘‘Economic interest’’ means ownership of more than a de minimis legal or equitable interest. Except for situations in which the judge participates in the management of such a legal or equitable interest, or the interest could be substantially affected by the outcome of a proceeding before a judge, it does not include: (1) an interest in the individual holdings within a mutual or common investment fund; (2) an interest in securities held by an educa­ tional, religious, charitable, fraternal, or civic orga­ nization in which the judge or the judge’s spouse, domestic partner, parent, or child serves as a director, an officer, an advisor, or other participant; (3) a deposit in a financial institution or deposits or proprietary interests the judge may maintain as a member of a mutual savings association or credit union, or similar proprietary interests; or (4) an interest in the issuer of government secu­ rities held by the judge. See Rules 1.3, 2.11, and 3.2. ‘‘Fiduciary’’ includes relationships such as executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian. See Rules 2.11, 3.2, and 3.8. ‘‘Impartial,’’ ‘‘impartiality,’’ and ‘‘impartially’’ mean absence of bias or prejudice in favor of, or against, particular parties or classes of parties, as well as maintenance of an open mind in consider- ing issues that may come before a judge. See Canons 1, 2, and 4, and Rules 1.2, 2.2, 2.10, 2.11, 2.13, 3.1, 3.12, 3.13, 4.1, and 4.2. ‘‘Impending matter’’ is any matter a judge knows is imminent or reasonably expects to be commenced in the near future. See Rules 2.9, 2.10, 3.13, and 4.1. ‘‘Impropriety’’ includes conduct that violates the law or provisions of this Code and conduct that undermines a judge’s independence, integrity, or impartiality. See Canon 1 and Rule 1.2. ‘‘Independence’’ means a judge’s freedom from influence or controls other than those established by law. See Canons 1 and 4, and Rules 1.2, 3.1, 3.12, 3.13, and 4.2. ‘‘Integrity’’ means probity, fairness, honesty, uprightness, and soundness of character. See Canons 1 and 4 and Rules 1.2, 3.1, 3.12, 3.13, and 4.2. ‘‘Knowingly,’’ ‘‘knowledge,’’ ‘‘known,’’ and ‘‘knows’’ mean actual knowledge of the fact in question. A person’s knowledge may be inferred from circumstances. See Rules 2.11, 2.15, 2.16, 3.2, 3.6, and 4.1. ‘‘Law’’ encompasses court rules as well as stat­ utes, constitutional provisions, decisional law, and this Code. See Rules 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 2.9, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.7, 3.9, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 4.1, and 4.3. ‘‘Member of the judge’s family’’ means any rela­ tive of a judge related by consanguinity within the third degree as determined by the common law, a spouse or domestic partner or an individual related to a spouse or domestic partner within the third degree as so determined, including an individual in an adoptive relationship within the third degree. See Rules 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 3.10, and 3.11. ‘‘Member of a judge’s family residing in the judge’s household’’ means any member of the judge’s family or other person treated by a judge as a member of the judge’s family, who resides in the judge’s household. See Rules 2.11 and 3.13. ‘‘Pending matter’’ is a matter that has commenced. A matter continues to be pending through any appellate process until final disposi- tion. See Rules 2.9, 2.10, 3.13, and 4.1. ‘‘Personally solicit’’ means a direct request made by a judge for financial support or in-kind services, whether made by letter, telephone, or any other means of communication. See Rule 4.1. ‘‘Political organization’’ means a political party or other group sponsored by or affiliated with a political party or candidate, the principal purpose of which is to further the election or appointment of candidates for political office. See Rules 4.1 and 4.2. ‘‘Public election’’ includes primary and general elections, partisan elections and nonpartisan elections. See Rule 4.3. ‘‘Spouse’’ means a person to whom one is legally married or joined in a civil union. See Rules 2.11, 3.13, and 3.14. ‘‘Third degree of relationship’’ includes the fol­ lowing persons: great-grandparent, grandparent, parent, uncle, aunt, brother, sister, child, grand- child, great-grandchild, nephew, and niece. See