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Bill to create judicial performance commission draws praise and criticism over scope and politics
Summary
Senate Bill 45 would create a judicial performance evaluation commission to survey jurors, court staff, attorneys and observers and publish pre-election information for voters. Supporters said it would increase voter information and help judges improve; opponents warned it could be politicized, duplicate existing court surveys, raise fiscal and
Senate Bill 45, carried by Senator Tom McIlroy, would establish a statewide judicial performance evaluation commission to collect midterm and pre-election evaluations of judges and to publish a voter information pamphlet summarizing the commission's findings.
Sponsor intent and structure
McIlroy described the bill as a voter-education and judge-improvement measure. The proposal would create an 11-member commission (appointments by the Senate president, House speaker, governor and two by the Montana Supreme Court), a small staff, an executive director, and rules for a contracted third party to conduct anonymous surveys of attorneys, jurors, court staff and courtroom observers. The bill establishes midterm evaluations (for judge feedback) and pre-election summaries (to inform voters) and sets criteria for surveys: legal ability,…
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