Volume 7 Issue 47

Indicates featured legislation

Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced

Missouri SB 619 (2014) Prohibits use by state courts of foreign or international law. Specifically does not apply to child adoptions. Prefiled.

Missouri HJR 46 (Constitutional Amendment) (2014) Removes Supreme Courts power to try impeachments and places it in the Senate. Prefiled.

Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced

Virginia HB 81 (2014) Increases from 70 to 73 the mandatory retirement age for judges. In House Courts of Justice Committee.

Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced

NONE

Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced

NONE

Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Selection: Newly Introduced

Missouri SB 627 (2014) Imposes campaign contribution limits for judicial candidates of $2000. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 858 Prohibits lawyer-legislators from voting for judges or appearing before judges they nominated. (In South Carolina, most judges are elected by the legislature or appointed by the governor on the nomination/recommendation of the local senator). In Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wisconsin AB 543 Creates public financing system for supreme court races. In Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee.

Selection: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Structure Changes: Newly Introduced

Missouri SB 614 (2014) Deletes references to defunct offices of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Commissioners. Prefiled.

Missouri SB 621 (2014) Reduces number of meetings of the state judicial conference to every two years (currently annual). Adds specific cross-references in law for comprehensive analysis of judicial resources. Prefiled.

Missouri SJR 37 (Constitutional Amendment) (2014) Deletes references to defunct offices of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Commissioners. Prefiled.

Pennsylvania HB 1889 Permits but does not require creation of mental health court divisions in courts of common pleas. In House Judiciary Committee.

Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity

Michigan HB 4694 AS AMENDED BY SENATE: Authorizes circuit and district courts to adopt or institute a mental health court. Authorizes the family division of circuit court (family court) to adopt or institute a juvenile mental health court. Allows a mental health court to accept participants from other Michigan jurisdictions under certain circumstances. Establishes requirements for admission to a mental health court and require each mental health court to determine a person's eligibility. Approved with Senate amendment by full House 12/12/13. To Governor for signature.

Michigan HB 4697 AS AMENDED BY SENATE: Requires each mental health court to collect and provide data on each individual applicant and participant and the entire program as required by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO). Places responsibility for the expenditure of state funds for the establishment and operation of mental health courts with the Michigan Supreme Court.  Approved with Senate amendment by full House 12/12/13. To Governor for signature.

Other: Newly Introduced

Pennsylvania HB 1905 Repeals power of court of common pleas judges to name interim district attorney when a vacancy occurs. Provides first assistant district attorney to be district attorney. In House Local Government Committee.

Other: Floor and Committee Activity

Michigan HB 4064 AS AMENDED BY SENATE: Delete numerous provisions pertaining to judicial records. Requires the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) to establish and maintain record management policies and procedures for the courts, including a records retention and disposal schedule. Requires the records retention and disposal schedule to be developed in accordance with Supreme Court rules, and developed and maintained according to the Michigan Historical Commission law. Allows a court to dispose of a record as prescribed above, subject to the Records Retention Act. Provides that a record, regardless of its medium, could not be disposed of unless it had been in the court's custody for the established retention period. Defines "record" as information of any kind that is recorded in any manner and that has been created by a court or filed with a court in accordance with Supreme Court rules. Approved with Senate amendment by full House 12/10/13. To Governor for signature.

Michigan HB 4532 AS AMENDED BY SENATE: Requires all writs, process, proceedings, and records in any court to be made out in the manner and on any medium authorized by Supreme Court rules. Allows an electronic signature on any document filed with or created by a court, subject to Supreme Court rules. Places responsibility with a probate court clerk for probate court record retention. Require probates courts to keep testimony index and notes as prescribed by Supreme Court rules. Approved with Senate amendment by full House 12/10/13. To Governor for signature.