SB 22-201 Summary

• Establishes an independent Commission on Judicial Discipline as a financially and functionally independent body housed within the judicial department to investigate and address complaints of judicial misconduct

• Creates an Office of Judicial Discipline with an executive director (must be a licensed attorney with 10+ years practice) and staff to support commission operations and receive misconduct complaints

• Requires the judicial department to disclose all relevant information and materials to the commission within 35 days of receiving a complaint, with limited exceptions for federal law restrictions and judicial deliberation privilege

• Appropriates $1,143,438 to the judicial department for fiscal year 2022-23, including $743,438 for the office operations and $400,000 to a special cash fund for investigations and proceedings

• Establishes a legislative interim committee to study judicial discipline reform models and make recommendations to the 2023 legislative session regarding constitutional or statutory reforms needed for an effective independent system