Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
Florida HB 7061 Increases County Court jurisdiction from $15,000 to $50,000. Provides Supreme Court may adjust every 5 years based on Consumer Price Index. In House Judiciary Committee.
Rhode Island SB 2181 (Constitutional Amendment) Requires state legislature fund public education and provides courts have jurisdiction to hear challenges to funding levels. In Senate Education Committee.
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
Georgia HB 705 AS AMENDED: Increases jurisdiction for Magistrate's Court from $15,000 to $25,000. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 2/8/18.
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
Alabama HB 339 (Constitutional Amendment) Increases mandatory judicial retirement to 75. In House Constitution, Campaigns, and Elections Committee.
Arizona HCR 2036 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes minimum age requirements for judgeship and other elected officials. In House Government Committee.
Iowa SJR 2005 (Constitutional Amendment) Imposes term limits on state legislators, governors, and appellate judges (two full terms). Places Court of Appeals in state constitution. In Senate State Government Committee.
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
Virginia SB 939 Requires that retired circuit court judges sitting as substitutes be found qualified every three years by the Senate and House Committees for Courts of Justice instead of authorized by the Chief Justice. Removes the requirement that retired Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices shall be recalled pursuant to § 17.1-106. Provides that Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices retired under the Judicial Retirement System (§51.1-300 et seq.) shall be subject to recall with the consent of a majority of the members of the respective court. Approved by full Senate 2/7/18.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
Tennessee HB 2378 Requires a court, upon the request of a criminal defendant, to instruct the jury that although the state may prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt the jury may still find the defendant not guilty in order to avoid an unjust result. - In House Criminal Justice Committee.
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2327 Provides by January 8 of each year, the supreme court shall report to the governor and the legislature the amount of fees that were collected by every court in this state for the previous year. The report shall include the revenue and collection rates for each court. In House Judiciary Committee.
Maryland SB 176 Clarifying the eligibility for a retirement allowance for certain members of the Judges' Retirement System who reach the mandatory retirement age required by Article IV, § 3 of the Maryland Constitution and have less than 5 years of eligibility service. In Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
South Carolina HB 4801 Links judicial salaries to that of the federal judiciary. In House Judiciary Committee.
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
Utah SB 151 Changes funding sources for Court Security Account. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 2/8/18.
Selection: Newly Introduced
Maryland HB 607 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides Circuit Court judges to be appointed by governor and confirmed by senate. Provides if confirmation vote is less than 80% of senate, judge is subject to contested election. In House Judiciary Committee.
Maryland HB 770 (Constitutional Amendment) Requires that a vacancy occurring during the elected term of a clerk of the circuit court be filled by the circuit court with a qualified individual of the same political party, if any, as the vacating clerk. Requires that a vacancy during the elected term of a Register of Wills be filled by the Orphans' Court with a qualified individual of the same political party, if any, as the vacating Register of Wills. In House Judiciary Committee.
Mississippi SB 2680 Requires nonpartisan election for Clerks of Court and other county officials. In Senate Elections Committee.
Oklahoma SB 971 Requires judicial retention ballots contain information on judge's age, years of service, and appointing governor. In Senate Rules
Wisconsin AB 135 Requires a supreme court justice and a judge in the court of appeals, in circuit court, and in municipal court (judge) to disqualify himself or herself from a civil or criminal action or proceeding (action) if, as a candidate for judicial office and within the past four years, the judge received campaign financial support of $1,000or more from a party to the action. In Assembly Government Operations Committee.
Wisconsin SB 779 Requires a supreme court justice and a judge in the court of appeals, in circuit court, and in municipal court (judge) to disqualify himself or herself from a civil or criminal action or proceeding (action) if, as a candidate for judicial office and within the past four years, the judge received campaign financial support of $1,000 or more from a party to the action. In Senate Government Operations Committee.
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2234 Requires all counties create veterans courts. In House Judiciary Committee.
Arizona HB 2643 Requires all counties create veterans courts. In House Judiciary Committee.
Connecticut HB 5041 Transfers Juvenile Services from Department of Children and Families to Court Support Services Division of Judicial Branch. In Joint Committee on Judiciary.
Georgia HR 993 (Constitutional Amendment) Creates Business Court. Provides judges to be appointed and reappointed by Governor alone. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oklahoma HJR 1051 (Constitutional Amendment) Abolishes Court of Criminal Appeals. In House Rules Committee.
Tennessee HB 2417 Authorizes the creation of first responder treatment court program. In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee HB 2630 Authorizes the creation of first responder treatment court program. In House Criminal Justice Committee.
Tennessee SB 2325 Authorizes the creation of first responder treatment court program. In Senate Government Operations Committee.
Tennessee SB 2414 Authorizes the creation of first responder treatment court program. In Senate Government Operations Committee.
West Virginia HB 4004 Creates West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals In House Judiciary Committee.
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
Mississippi HB 419 Authorizes mental health courts throughout state. Approved by full House 2/1/18.
West Virginia SB 341 Creates WV Intermediate Court of Appeals Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 2/2/18.
Other: Newly Introduced
Colorado HB 1210 Designates an administrator of judicial security in the Colorado judicial department as a peace officer who must be certified by the peace officer standards and training board. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oklahoma HB 2527 Allows county employees to carry guns into the courthouses they work in. In House Public Safety Committee.
Oklahoma HB 2849 Allows county employees to carry guns into the courthouses they work in. In House Public Safety Committee
Oklahoma HB 2865 Transfers appointment and retention decisions from judges for various county positions to board of commissioners. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oklahoma HB 2867 Makes District Court Judges subject to open record requests. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oklahoma SB 1346 Provides court records produced online may not include items that contain a complete personal identification number. In Senate General Government Committee.
Tennessee HB 2016 Requires that the weighted caseload formula devised by the comptroller of the treasury be provided to the general assembly no later than January 1 of each year In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee HB 2352 Authorizes former Tennessee justice or judge who has practiced law for at least 25 years and who has at least one year of service as justice or judge to be designated as senior justice or judge; requires appointments and renewals of senior judges to be approved by joint meeting of senate judiciary committee and civil and criminal justice committees of the house of representatives. In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee SB 1994 Requires that the weighted caseload formula devised by the comptroller of the treasury be provided to the general assembly no later than January 1 of each year In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tennessee SB 2169 Authorizes former Tennessee justice or judge who has practiced law for at least 25 years and who has at least one year of service as justice or judge to be designated as senior justice or judge; requires appointments and renewals of senior judges to be approved by joint meeting of senate judiciary committee and civil and criminal justice committees of the house of representatives. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia HB 4370 Requires the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to maintain a searchable, criminal database In House Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia SB 482 Allows magistrates carry fire.arms in county courthouse or on premises of court of law In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Indiana SB 238 Changes all references to the division of state court administration and the judicial center to the office of judicial administration. Approved by full Senate 2/6/18.
Mississippi HB 949 Repeals Mississippi Judicial Advisory Study Committee. Approved by full House 2/1/18.
Mississippi SB 2044 Expands authority of Chief Justice to appoint special judges to help clear docket backlogs. Approved by full Senate 2/1/18.
Mississippi SB 2138 Gives civil immunity to members of a special campaign committee. Approved by full Senate 2/1/18.
Missouri HB 1769 Establishes the offense of filing false documents against a judge or others. Approved by full House 2/1/18.
Nebraska LB 193 Alters various court reporting and records retention laws. Approved by full Senate 2/8/18. To Governor for approval.
Ohio HB 341 Exempts personal information about judges from disclosure. Approved by full House 1/31/18.
Utah SB 106 Requires removal of personal identifying information from court's online system if criminal case dismissed. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 1/29/18.
Virginia SB 564 Provides that a clerk of court shall make nonconfidential court records available to the public upon request. Specifies that such records shall be provided no later than 30 days after the request. Provides that the clerk may charge a fee for responding to such request that shall not exceed the actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, reviewing, supplying, or searching for the requested records. Requires the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to make available to the public an online case information system of nonconfidential information for criminal cases by July 1, 2019. Approved by Senate Finance Committee 2/6/18.
Washington SB 6324 Authorizes a county clerk to, at any time more than ten years after a case completion order or final mandate in any action, obtain an order from the superior court authorizing destruction of exhibits, court recordings, and reporters' notes. Approved by full Senate 2/7/18.