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First Substitute S.B. 169


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House Committee Amendments 3-1-2012 le/ecm
This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 3:00 PM by lerror. -->
Senator Karen Mayne proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Karen Mayne

             5     
House Sponsor: Brian S. King

             6     

             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill allows the Utah Supreme Court discretion in appointing judges to the Judicial
             10      Conduct Commission.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    allows the Utah Supreme Court to appoint a justice court judge to the Judicial
             14      Conduct Commission H. [ ; and ] .
             15      [     .    allows the Judicial Conduct Commission discretion to dismiss a complaint against a
             16      judge, even if it finds by a preponderance of the evidence that judicial misconduct
             17      occurred, if it determines that a public sanction is not warranted.
] .H

             18      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             24          78A-11-103, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3
             25          78A-11-110, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3



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             26
    

             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 78A-11-103 is amended to read:
             29           78A-11-103. Judicial Conduct Commission -- Members -- Terms -- Vacancies --
             30      Voting -- Power of chair.
             31          (1) The membership of the commission consists of the following 11 members:
             32          (a) two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the
             33      House of Representatives for a four-year term, not more than one of whom may be of the same
             34      political party as the speaker;
             35          (b) two members of the Senate to be appointed by the president of the Senate for a
             36      four-year term, not more than one of whom may be of the same political party as the president;
             37          (c) two members of, and in good standing with, the Utah State Bar, who shall be
             38      appointed by a majority of the Utah Supreme Court for a four-year term, none of whom may
             39      reside in the same judicial district;
             40          (d) three persons not members of the Utah State Bar, who shall be appointed by the
             41      governor, with the consent of the Senate, for four-year terms, not more than two of whom may
             42      be of the same political party as the governor; and
             43          [(e) one member of the Utah Court of Appeals to be selected by a majority of the Utah
             44      Supreme Court for a four-year term; and]
             45          [(f) one judge from a trial court of record to be selected by a majority of the Utah
             46      Supreme Court for a four-year term.]
             47          (e) two judges to be appointed by a majority of the Utah Supreme Court for a four-year
             48      term, neither of whom may:
             49          (i) be a member of the Utah Supreme Court;
             50          (ii) serve on the same level of court as the other; and
             51          (iii) if trial judges, serve primarily in the same judicial district as the other.
             52          (2) (a) The terms of the members shall be staggered so that approximately half of the
             53      commission expires every two years.
             54          (b) Members of the commission may not serve longer than eight years.
             55          (3) The commission shall establish guidelines and procedures for the disqualification
             56      of any member from consideration of any matter. A judge who is a member of the commission



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             57
     or the Supreme Court may not participate in any proceedings involving the judge's own
             58      removal or retirement.
             59          (4) (a) When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the replacement shall
             60      be appointed by the appointing authority for that position for the unexpired term.
             61          (b) If the appointing authority fails to appoint a replacement, the commissioners who
             62      have been appointed may act as a commission under all the provisions of this section.
             63          (5) Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. Any action of a
             64      majority of the quorum constitutes the action of the commission.
             65          (6) (a) At each commission meeting, the chair and executive director shall schedule all
             66      complaints to be heard by the commission and present any information from which a
             67      reasonable inference can be drawn that a judge has committed misconduct so that the
             68      commission may determine by majority vote of a quorum whether the executive director shall
             69      draft a written complaint in accordance with Subsection 78A-11-102 (2)(b).
             70          (b) The chair and executive director may not act to dismiss any complaint without a
             71      majority vote of a quorum of the commission.
             72          (7) It is the responsibility of the chair and the executive director to ensure that the
             73      commission complies with the procedures of the commission.
             74          (8) The chair shall be nonvoting except in the case of a tie vote.
             75          (9) The chair shall be allowed the actual expenses of secretarial services, the expenses
             76      of services for either a court reporter or a transcriber of electronic tape recordings, and other
             77      necessary administrative expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of the commission.
             78          (10) Upon a majority vote of the quorum, the commission may:
             79          (a) employ an executive director, legal counsel, investigators, and other staff to assist
             80      the commission; and
             81          (b) incur other reasonable and necessary expenses within the authorized budget of the
             82      commission and consistent with the duties of the commission.
             83          (11) The commission shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
             84      Administrative Rulemaking Act, outlining its procedures and the appointment of masters.
             85          Section 2. Section 78A-11-110 is amended to read:
             86           78A-11-110. Hearing.
             87          (1) (a) A hearing may be conducted before a quorum of the commission.



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House Committee Amendments 3-1-2012 le/ecm
             88
         (b) Any finding or order shall be made upon a majority vote of the quorum.
             89          (2) Alternatively, the commission may appoint three special masters, who are judges of
             90      courts of record, to hear and take evidence in the matter and to report to the commission.
             91          (3) (a) After the hearing or after considering the record and report of the masters, if the
             92      commission finds by a preponderance of the evidence that misconduct occurred H. [ and
             92a      determines
             93      that a public sanction is warranted
] .H
, it shall order the reprimand, censure, suspension, removal,
             94      or involuntary retirement of the judge.
             95          (b) When a commission order is sent to the Supreme Court, it shall also be:
             96          (i) publicly disclosed; and
             97          (ii) sent to the entity that appointed the judge.
             98          (c) In recommending any order, including stipulated orders, the commission may not
             99      place, or attempt to place, any condition or limitation upon the Supreme Court's constitutional
             100      power to:
             101          (i) review the commission's proceedings as to both law and fact; or
             102          (ii) implement, reject, or modify a commission order.
             103          (4) When the commission issues any order, including a stipulated order, that is sent to
             104      the Supreme Court, the record shall include:
             105          (a) the original complaint and any other information regarding violations, or potential
             106      violations, of the Code of Judicial Conduct;
             107          (b) the charges;
             108          (c) all correspondence and other documents which passed between the commission and
             109      the judge;
             110          (d) all letters which may explain the charges;
             111          (e) all affidavits, subpoenas, and testimony of witnesses;
             112          (f) the commission's findings of fact and conclusions of law;
             113          (g) a transcript of any proceedings, including hearings on motions;
             114          (h) a copy of each exhibit admitted into evidence;
             115          (i) a summary of all the complaints dismissed by the commission against the judge
             116      which contained allegations or information similar in nature to the misconduct under review by
             117      the Supreme Court;
             118          (j) a summary of all the orders implemented, rejected, or modified by the Supreme



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             119
     Court against the judge; and
             120          (k) all information in the commission's files on any informal resolution, including any
             121      letter of admonition, comment, or caution, that the commission issued against the judge prior to
             122      May 1, 2000.


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