NCJ Number
89981
Date Published
1983
Length
0 pages
Annotation
All State judicial conduct commissions are designed to maintain public confidence in the judiciary and are composed of judges, attorneys, and public or lay members. They differ in their levels of activity, their confidentiality requirements, and in their authority.
Abstract
By 1981, all 50 States and the District of Columbia had adopted a procedure for resolving problems of judicial misconduct and disability. In 1977, the Center for Judicial Conduct Organizations was established and now includes an extensive collection of materials on codes of judicial conduct, rules governing each commission, and related law review articles and legal opinions. The slide presentation discusses the common characteristics that define a conduct commission: (1) procedures for filing and investigating complaints; (2) accessibility to the public; (3) public representation; (4) authority to remove a judge. It also compares commissions across States on five dimensions: level of activity, membership, commission structure, grounds, and confidentiality.