Encouraging Signs From The Commission on Judicial Conduct (MORE, CLICK HERE)

Since the almost doubling of their budget recently, we've been encouraged that the The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct will be able to fully address their duties and, especially, not just in upstate, litte-known counties.... MORE....

Start learning more about this important judicial ethics committe at: www.scjc.state.ny.us

Here's one of their most recent postings:

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct released its 2007 Annual Report today. The Commission is the state agency responsible for investigating complaints of misconduct against judges of the state unified court system and, where appropriate, disciplining such judges for violations of the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct. The Report documents the Commission’s work in 2006.

Highlights

** 1,500 complaints received – 3rd year in a row @ 1,500 or more

** 375 preliminary inquiries conducted

** 267 new investigations authorized – the most ever in a single year

** 221 pending matters carried forward from the previous year

** 275 matters pending at year’s end – the most since 1978

** 14 public decisions rendered:

-3 Removals from office

-5 Public Censures

-1 Public Admonition

-5 public stipulations in which judges formally charged with misconduct agreed to leave the bench and not to seek judicial office in the future

** 9 other judges resigned in 2006 while under investigation

** 50 confidential cautionary letters issued

** Budget Increase. In early 2007, for the first time in more than a generation, the Commission’s budget was significantly increased by the Legislature – from $2.8 million to $4.8 million a year – to cope with the growing workload. Staff and office space are gradually being expanded.

1975-2006 Statistics

Since 1975, the Commission has received 35,823 complaints and conducted 6,878 investigations. 649 judges have been publicly disciplined for judicial misconduct, including 151 who were removed from office. In addition, 1,297 have been confidentially cautioned, and 392 have resigned while under investigation or formal charges.

Observations and Recommendations

The Report makes several legislative and administrative recommendations, including:

--Public disciplinary hearings by the Commission (pp. 18-19);

--Interim suspension of judges under certain circumstances (pp. 20-21); and

--Suspension from office as a final sanction (pp. 21-22).

The Report also addresses certain issues that arose in 2006 in connection with disciplinary proceedings, including:

--Judges who limit access to court proceedings and records (pp. 23-24);

--Judges who coerce defendants into plea bargains (pp. 25-27); and

--Social relations among judges and lawyers (p. 28).

Website & OFFICE ADDRESSES

The 2007 Annual Report and other information about the Commission is available at its website: www.scjc.state.ny.us

The Commission’s offices are located at the following locations:

61 Broadway
New York, New York 10006

38-40 State Street
Albany, New York 12207
(The Albany office is relocating in mid-December to the Corning Tower in the Empire State Plaza.)

400 Andrews Street
Rochester, New York 14604