Volume 8 Issue 50

Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced

South Carolina HB 3022 Provides judges recognizing or upholding same sex marriages are to be automatically disqualified from case. Provides judges must immediately dismiss any case in which challenging the state's ban on same sex marriages or a challenge to HB 3022 is lodged. Provides judge or any state employee forfeits salary if they enforce or recognize a same sex marriage license. Prefiled.

Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced

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Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity

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Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced

NONE

Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced

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Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity

Michigan HB 5928 (2014) Provides legislature's intent the Michigan supreme court implement measurement of restitution assessment and collection as a court performance measure for circuit courts and district courts. Approved by full House 12/4/14.

Ohio HB 661 Increases the annual salaries of the Supreme Court justices and the judges of the courts of appeals, courts of common pleas, municipal courts, and county courts by 5% in 2015 through 2018. Increases these judicial salaries in 2019 through 2023 by an amount equal to the adjustment percentage for the specific year multiplied by the preceding year's compensation. Approved by full House 12/4/14.

Selection: Newly Introduced

South Carolina HB 3123 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends legislative election of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Circuit judges. Allows governor to appoint to fill courts subject to senate confirmation. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 180 Provides Judicial Merit Selection Commission to submit names to governor for initial review (currently sends names to legislature directly). Provides governor to selection 3 names and that Commission to review those names. Thereafter, continues practice of House and Senate electing from the 3 names to fill judicial vacancy. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 214 Provides if a judicial candidate testified at a public hearing and of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission subsequently withdraws as a judicial candidate, the testimony of the judicial candidate will be included in the public hearing transcript and it will not be destroyed by the commission. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 242 Modifies membership of Judicial Merit Selection Commission. Expands from 10 members to 15. Provides 14 members (2 from each congressional district) appointed by governor on recommendation from local legislators. Chair to be appointed by governor with senate confirmation. Explicitly prohibits legislators plus active/retired judges from serving on Commission and bans former legislators from 5 years from end of service in General Assembly. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 247 Provides Judicial Merit Selection Commission to submit all qualified names to legislature to fill judicial vacancy (currently only 3 names submitted). Prohibits legislator from pledging to support/vote for judicial candidate until after Judicial Merit Selection Commission makes its report to full legislature. Prefiled.

Selection: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Structure Changes: Newly Introduced

Missouri SB 81 Provides that when an annual judicial performance report indicates for three consecutive years that a judicial circuit with a population of one hundred thousand people or more is in need of four or more full-time judicial positions then, subject to appropriations, there shall be one additional circuit judge position authorized in that circuit. Prefiled.

South Carolina SB 209 Allows prosecutors to create and administer mental health courts. Prefiled.

Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity

NONE

Other: Newly Introduced

Montana SB 89 Require supreme court justices and district court judges to file financial reports. Prefiled.

Texas HB 485 Requires ethics commission place online the financial disclosures of judges who are elected statewide (supreme court and court of criminal appeals). Allows for redacting home addresses. Prefiled.

Washington HB 1028 Requires counties and cities provide court security. Requires they provide secure courthouses. Prefiled.

Other: Floor and Committee Activity

Ohio SB 379 (2014) AS AMENDED: Allows, in the event of a natural or man - made disaster, civil disorder, or any extra ordinary circumstance that interrupts or threatens to interrupt the orderly operation of a municipal court, county court, court of common pleas, or court of appeals, the administrative judge of the court to issue an order authorizing the court to operate at a temporary location inside or outside the territorial jurisdiction of the court and that establishes the procedures the administrative judge of the court must follow. Amended approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 12/4/14.