Judicial‑disqualification bill draws bench caution; sponsor withdraws due‑pass motion
SB 311 proposed expanding statutory grounds for judges to be disqualified, including ties to former law clerks and recent staff; local judges testified that the draft could be overly restrictive in smaller jurisdictions and that judicial-discipline processes already exist; sponsor withdrew a motion for a do‑pass vote and will revisit the bill.
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Senator Clark introduced SB 311 to add explicit grounds for judicial disqualification, listing circumstances such as interest in the outcome, kinship within the third degree, prior counsel involvement, prior presiding in inferior court, and relationships involving current or former judicial staff within the past three years. Clark said the bill aims to clarify statutory standards for recusal and disqualification.
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