by Ned Minevitz
This year, the Texas Legislature passed S.B. 293, which overhauled Chapter 33 of the Government Code (“State Commission on Judicial Conduct”). One change that is likely to get municipal judges’ attention is new Section 33.022(b-2). This law requires the SCJC to provide notice to a judge within five business days of dismissing a complaint against him or her if it was dismissed due to being unfounded, frivolous, or having administrative deficiencies.
Until now, judges have typically been unaware of such dismissals: they usually occur soon after the SCJC receives the complaint and prior to a full investigation. And as one can imagine, such dismissals are common. No matter how ethical and law-abiding a judge is, there are individuals out there that will still file complaints against him or her. In the past, the judge would probably never know about such complaints. Now they will.
Therefore, all municipal judges should be prepared for the possibility of receiving increased communications from the SCJC related to dismissed complaints against them. If a judge receives notice of a dismissed complaint under Section 33.022(b-2), there is no need to contact SCJC or be alarmed. Ron Bennett, Chief Investigator at the SCJC, expects such notices to be commonplace moving forward.
If the SCJC has the judge’s e-mail address on file, any notice under Section 33.022(b-2) will be sent via e-mail as well as through the U.S. Postal Service. If there is no e-mail address on file, the notice will only be sent by snail mail.
To update their e-mail and/or mailing address with the SCJC, judges may e-mail information@scjc.texas.gov or call 512.463.5533.
Full Court Press 