Bill Text - SB224 (2005)

Relative to the committee on judicial conduct.


Revision: Jan. 21, 2010, midnight

CHAPTER 129

SB 224 – FINAL VERSION

04May2005… 1158h

2005 SESSION

05-1063

09/01

SENATE BILL 224

AN ACT relative to the committee on judicial conduct.

SPONSORS: Sen. Foster, Dist 13

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes requirements regarding access to confidential information and hearings on confidential cases in proceedings before the committee on judicial conduct.

This bill was requested by the supreme court.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

04May2005… 1158h

05-1063

09/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

AN ACT relative to the committee on judicial conduct.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

129:1 New Section; Committee on Judicial Conduct; Confidential Information and Hearings on Confidential Cases. Amend RSA 490 by inserting after section 30 the following new section:

490:30-a Access to Information; Hearings on Confidential Cases.

I. In this section, “committee” means the committee on judicial conduct established by rules of the supreme court.

II. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a person subject to the code of judicial conduct may provide to the executive secretary of the committee, for the use of the members of the committee and its staff and agents in the performance of their official duties, any tapes, transcripts, records of proceedings, information, files, and other documents which would otherwise be confidential. No member, staff, or agent of the committee shall disclose such information except in the course of official duty.

III. In any hearing before the committee, the committee may, by majority vote, conduct the hearing in a session not open to the public with respect to any part of the complaint involving the conduct of a person in a case required by law to be confidential. In such circumstances the committee shall make available to the public a summary of the nature of the complaint, the names of the person complained against, and the complainant, and the decision of the committee.

129:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2006.

(Approved: June 15, 2005)

(Effective Date: January 1, 2006)