Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Self-Evaluation Report
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State Commission on Judicial Conduct
September 2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Agency Contact Information .............................................................................................................. 3
II. Key Functions and Performance ........................................................................................................ 3
III. History and Major Events ................................................................................................................... 9
IV. Policymaking Structure ...................................................................................................................... 11
V. Funding .............................................................................................................................................. 15
VI. Organization ....................................................................................................................................... 17
VII. Guide to Agency Programs ................................................................................................................ 18
Administration and Enforcement pg. 18
VIII. Statutory Authority and Recent Legislation ....................................................................................... 24
IX. Policy Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 25
X. Other Contacts .................................................................................................................................... 26
XI. Additional Information ....................................................................................................................... 27
Complaint Data ............................................................................................................................ 27
HUB Data .................................................................................................................................... 27
EEO Data ..................................................................................................................................... 28
XII. Agency Comments ............................................................................................................................. 30
List of Attachments ......................................................................................................................................... 31
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State Commission on Judicial Conduct Self-Evaluation Report
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A. Please fill in the following chart.
(Agency Name)
Exhibit 1: Agency Contacts
Name
Address
Telephone &
Fax Numbers
E-mail Address
Agency Head
Seana Willing
300 W. 15
th
St., Suite 415
Austin, Tx 78701
Ph: 512-463-5533
Fx:512-463-0511
seana.willing@scj
c.texas.gov
Agencys Sunset
Liaison
John Brown
300 W. 15
th
St., Suite 415
Austin, Tx 78701
Ph: 512-463-5533
Fx:512-463-0511
john.brown@scjc.
texas.gov
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A. Provide an overview of your agencys mission, obj ectives, and key functions.
The mission oI the State Commission on Judicial Conduct is to (1) protect the public Irom judicial
misconduct or incapacity, (2) promote public conIidence in the integrity, independence,
competence, and impartiality oI the judiciary, and (3) encourage judges to maintain high standards
oI conduct both on and oII the bench. The Commission accomplishes this mission through its
investigation oI allegations oI judicial misconduct or incapacity. In cases where a judge is Iound
to have engaged in misconduct or to be permanently incapacitated, the Texas Constitution
authorizes the Commission to take appropriate disciplinary action, including issuing private or
public sanctions, public censures, suspensions, or making recommendations Ior removal Irom
oIIice.
B. Do your key functions continue to serve a clear and ongoing obj ective? Explain why each of
these functions is still needed. What harm would come f rom no longer performing these
functions?
Yes. Judicial independence, impartiality, and integrity are the cornerstones oI the American
justice system. A judicial oIIice is a public trust. In order to Iunction eIIectively, the judicial
system must be assured oI the public`s Iaith and conIidence. This agency provides a valuable
Iorum and a simple, eIIicient process wherein anyone may request an investigation into allegations
oI judicial misconduct or incapacity. Without such a Iorum, these complainants would likely
resort to the political branches oI government to address these concerns, where the options
available Ior handling judicial misconduct are extremely limited, time consuming, cumbersome,
political, and expensive. In most instances, these entities would be unable to assist many oI these
complainants, leading to Irustration and a lack oI conIidence in the judiciary. For example, law
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enIorcement has jurisdiction only over criminal conduct, but judges rarely engage in criminal
activity and most complaints Iiled against judges do not involve allegations oI criminal conduct.
Although impeachment is a disciplinary measure available exclusively to the legislative branch oI
government, the only outcome is removal Irom oIIice, which should be reserved Ior only the most
egregious cases oI misconduct. Moreover, it is precisely because the impeachment process itselI is
so time-consuming, cumbersome, political, and expensive, that judicial conduct commissions
came into existence in the Iirst place. Judicial conduct commissions also address the legitimate
concerns oI the judiciary that providing the other branches oI government with the only means oI
addressing judicial misconduct might result in their overreaching and interIering with judicial
independence. By allowing an independent agency, which is part oI the judicial branch oI
government, to investigate complaints against judges, hold hearings, make Iindings, and take
disciplinary action when appropriate, the public is better protected Irom judicial misconduct or
incapacity, judges are provided with an incentive to maintain high standards oI conduct, and
public conIidence in the integrity, competence, impartiality, and independence oI the judiciary is
preserved.
C. What evidence can your agency provide to show your overall effectiveness and efficiency in
meeting your obj ectives?
See Section VII. Guide to Agency Programs, Section C.
D. 'RHV \RXU DJHQF\s enabling law continue to cor rectly reflect your mission, obj ectives, and
approach to performing your functions? Have you recommended changes to the Legislature in
the past to improve your agencys operations? If so, explain. Were the changes adopted?
Yes, but current procedural rules and the Code of Judicial Conduct remain outdated and will require
meaningful revisions and updates in order to be consistent with recent changes in the Texas Constitution,
Texas statutes, and federal case law.
Since 2001, several legislative changes to improve the organization`s operations have been recommended by
the agency, many of which were adopted. The following is a list of all statutory and constitutional changes
directly affecting the agency for each Legislative Session starting in 2001 through 2011:
77
th
Leg. (2001):
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Sec. 33.032 updaLed sLaLuLory references and changed language ln subsecLlon (a), deleLed
language from subsecLlon (b), rewroLe subsecLlon (c), added subsecLlons (f), (g), and
(h)[made formal proceedlng publlc upon flllng of charges]
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Sec. 33.033 changed language ln subsecLlons (a) and (b)(1), ln subsecLlon (b) rewroLe
subdlvlslon (2) and added subdlvlslon (3), added subsecLlon (e) [requlres commlsslon Lo
lnform complalnanL LhaL a prlvaLe sancLlon or order of addlLlonal educaLlon has been
lssued agalnsL Lhe [udge, requlres commlsslon Lo provlde complalnanL wlLh explanaLlon
for reasons for dlsmlssal and provlde complalnanL wlLh lnformaLlon regardlng
reconslderaLlon procedure]
Sec. 33.034 subsLlLuLed 60 for 30 days and deleLed language ln subsecLlon (h)
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ArL. v, sec. 1-a(2) rewrlLLen Lo add consLlLuLlonal counLy [udge and clLlzen member,
lncreaslng slze of Commlsslon from 11 Lo 13 members, llfLed resldency resLrlcLlon for
Lhe 3 clLlzen members allowlng Lhe Covernor Lo appolnL from anywhere wlLhln sLaLe,
lmposed a resldency resLrlcLlon on Lhe counLy courL aL law and consLlLuLlonal counLy
[udge members requlrlng Lhese members Lo be from dlfferenL courL of appeals
dlsLrlcLs, ln subdlvlslon (3), quorum lncreased from 6 members Lo 7 members
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80
th
Leg. (2007)
ArL. v, sec. 1-a(1) rewrlLLen regardlng vacancles occurrlng due Lo mandaLory reLlremenL
age of [udges
81
st
Leg. (2009)
Sec. 33.001(a)(11) amended Lo lnclude revlew of censure by Speclal CourL of 8evlew
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