Judicial Improvements Act of 2002
Latest action · Jul 31, 2002 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 533.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 9, 2002
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Directs the chief judge to expeditiously review complaints. Authorizes: (1) the chief judge to conduct a limited inquiry; and (2) a complainant or judge aggrieved by a final order of the chief judge to petition the judicial council of the circuit for review. Makes denial of a petition for review final.
Requires the chief judge, if not entering such an order, to form a special committee to investigate the allegations. Authorizes the judicial council, upon receipt of a report by the committee, to: (1) conduct any necessary additional investigation; and (2) dismiss the complaint. Directs the council, if the complaint is not dismissed, to take appropriate action to assure the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts within the circuit.
Delineates possible actions by the judicial council if the complaint is not dismissed, including: (1) ordering that, on a temporary basis for a time certain, no further cases be assigned to the judge whose conduct is the subject of a complaint; and (2) censuring or reprimanding the judge by means of private communication or public announcement.
Includes among possible actions with respect to: (1) Article III judges, certifying disability of the judge pursuant to specified procedures and standards, and requesting that the judge voluntarily retire, with the provision that length of service requirements not apply; and (2) magistrate judges, directing the chief judge of the district of the magistrate judge to take appropriate action. Sets forth limitations on judicial council removals.
Provides for referral of complaints to the Judicial Conference of the United States. Directs the Judicial Conference, if it finds impeachment warranted, to certify and transmit the determination and record of proceedings to the House of Representatives.
Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) a judicial council's subpoena power; (2) judges' petitions for review of adverse orders and actions; (3) rules for the conduct of proceedings under this Act; (4) restrictions on individuals who are the subject of an investigation; (5) confidentiality of proceedings; and (6) the effect of a felony conviction on a judge's continued service and creditable service.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 9, 2002.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-TN | Fred Thompson | Original | Jul 9, 2002 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 31, 2002Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jul 31, 2002Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
- Jul 31, 2002Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 533.
- Jul 9, 2002Introduced in Senate
- Jul 9, 2002Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6504-6506)
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2215 | 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act | Related bill | Nov 2, 2002 |
| HR 3892 | Judicial Improvements Act of 2002 | Related bill | Oct 3, 2002 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Law.
- Administration of justice
- Administrative remedies
- Appellate courts
- Appellate procedure
- Bankruptcy courts
- Confidential communications
- Corruption investigation
- Court records
- Courts of special jurisdiction
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Disability evaluation
- Disabled
- District courts
- Due process of law
- Ex-offenders
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Governmental investigations
- Grievance procedures
- Impeachments
- Judges
- Judicial corruption
- Judicial ethics
- Judicial tenure
- Law
- Legal fees
- Magistrates
- Misconduct in office
- Parties to actions
- Subpoena
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.