NCJ Number
182454
Date Published
2000
Length
98 pages
Annotation
This is the 1999 annual report on the activities of the California Commission on Judicial Performance.
Abstract
During the past year a court decision held that the Commission has the authority to issue confidential advisory letters (warning judges of questionable conduct) and provided guidelines for determining when legal error may become a matter for investigation or discipline. A second court decision held that the votes of individual Commission members on disciplinary determinations, after initiation of formal proceedings, are to be made public. This was the first full year of the Commission’s shared responsibility with local courts for the discipline of court commissioners and referees. Both the Commission and the Judicial Council promulgated rules to assist the Commission and local courts in coordinating the handling of these complaints and the process appeared to work smoothly. After describing the composition of the Commission, the report is presented in seven parts: (I) Overview of the Complaint Process; (II) Legal Authority and Commission Procedures; (III) 1999 Statistics - Active and Former Judges; (IV) Case Summaries; (V) Subordinate Judicial Officers; (VI) Voluntary Disability Retirement; and (VII) Commission Organization, Staff and Budget. Figures, appendix