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: Grits for Breakfast

Elections, Judicial Conduct Commission, provide too little accountability for judges

In the Dallas News, Diane Jennings has an article on the state Commission on Judicial Conduct ("State Commission on Judicial Conduct has the job of judging Texas judges," Dec. 14) which normally receives little attention but was cast into the state spotlight this year when it initiated a fact-finding hearing to decide whether Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller should be removed. Jennings provides an overview of the agency's more mundane, everyday work, providing these macro-level data:In fiscal year 2009, 1,204 cases were filed. Most are dismissed, but 70 disciplinary actions were issued, with judges receiving punishments ranging from private sanctions to public reprimands. ...According to the commission's annual report, most of those disciplined by the commission are low-level jurists: 41 percent were justices of the peace in fiscal year 2009...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on December 14, 2009 (boomark / email).