Unchecked misconduct and broad discretion together should make us all nervous. Stronger review and visibility behind-the-scenes – just who does the reviewing and how are decisions made – would help the public trust our judges and strengthen our judiciary. It helps judges because people before them would trust their ability and also offer them support when they need it. Those responsible for our judiciary can’t be in an Ivory Tower.
A look at discipline statistics of trial court judges from 1990 through 2009 shows a small number of actions taken against California judges over that time. It’s clear we have a ballooning number of cases and we need judges, but allowing ineffectual ones cannot be the answer. Without change that’s what we’re allowing to happen.
