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House bill would move Judicial Standards Commission under Department of Justice administration
Summary
Representative Lee Nave opened a hearing on House Bill 35, saying the measure would administratively attach the Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice to reduce perceived judicial influence.
Representative Lee Nave, sponsor of House Bill 35, opened the committee hearing saying the bill would “move the Judicial Standards Commission away from the judicial branch and administratively attach it to the Department of Justice.”
The bill, Nave said, is intended to reduce the appearance of judicial influence over the commission that investigates complaints of judicial misconduct. “This places no additional burden on DOJ resources,” the sponsor said, noting the commission is unpaid, works remotely, and maintains a small budget for outside investigators.
Why it matters: the Montana Constitution assigns the Legislature the authority to establish a Judicial Standards Commission (JSC) to investigate ethical complaints against judges; the JSC may issue subpoenas, perform investigations and recommend discipline to the Supreme Court. The sponsor and some committee members said moving…
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