H.B. 325

             1     

JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION COMMISSION

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Eric K. Hutchings

             6     
Senate Sponsor: John L. Valentine

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends provisions related to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission
             11      Act.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines terms;
             15          .    includes justice court judges as subject to an evaluation process performed by the
             16      Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission; and
             17          .    creates the criteria for the evaluation of justice court judges under the direction of
             18      the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.
             19      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          None
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25           78A-12-102 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 248
             26      ENACTS:
             27           78A-12-207 , Utah Code Annotated 1953


             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             30          Section 1. Section 78A-12-102 is amended to read:
             31           78A-12-102. Definitions.
             32          As used in this chapter:
             33          (1) "Commission" means the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission established
             34      by this chapter.
             35          (2) ["Judge"] Except as provided in Section 78A-12-207 , "judge" means a state court
             36      judge or a state court justice who is subject to a retention election.
             37          (3) "Justice" means a judge who is a member of the Supreme Court.
             38          (4) "Justice court judge" means a judge appointed pursuant to Title 78A, Chapter 7,
             39      Justice Court.
             40          Section 2. Section 78A-12-207 is enacted to read:
             41          78A-12-207. Evaluation of justice court judges.
             42          (1) The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission shall:
             43          (a) conduct a performance evaluation for each justice court judge in the third and fifth
             44      year of the justice court judge's term;
             45          (b) classify each justice court judge into one of the following three categories:
             46          (i) full evaluation;
             47          (ii) midlevel evaluation; or
             48          (iii) basic evaluation; and
             49          (c) establish evaluation criteria for each of the three categories.
             50          (2) A full evaluation justice court judge shall be subject to the requirements of the
             51      Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission Act.
             52          (3) A midlevel evaluation justice court judge shall be governed by the Judicial
             53      Performance Evaluation Commission Act, except as provided below:
             54          (a) an electronic intercept survey shall be administered by the commission periodically
             55      outside the courtroom of the evaluated justice court judge in lieu of the survey specified in
             56      Section 78A-12-204 ; and
             57          (b) courtroom observation may not be conducted for midlevel evaluation justice court
             58      judges.


             59          (4) A basic evaluation justice court judge shall comply with the following performance
             60      standards:
             61          (a) no fewer than 30 hours of continuing judicial education for each year of the justice
             62      court judge's current term;
             63          (b) no more than one public reprimand issued by the Judicial Conduct Commission or
             64      the Supreme Court during the justice court judge's current term;
             65          (c) no cases under advisement for more than two months during the justice court
             66      judge's current term; and
             67          (d) other performance standards the commission may promulgate by administrative
             68      rule.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-23-14 9:12 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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