The California Constitution establishes the Commission on Judicial Performance and authorizes the commission to disqualify, suspend, retire, or censure a judge for specified acts of misconduct or for disability that seriously interferes with the performance of the judge’s duties or that is, or is likely to become, permanent. The California Constitution requires the commission to make rules for the investigation of judges and authorizes the commission to provide for the confidentiality of complaints to, and investigations by, the commission. Existing statutory law also governs procedures for the conduct of these investigations. Existing law requires state and local departments and their employees to cooperate with the commission in an investigation conducted by the commission.

This bill would authorize courts to display on their public internet website information that the Commission on Judicial Performance prepares and provides that clearly and concisely presents the Commission on Judicial Performance’s mission, its process for submitting a complaint, and information about what constitutes a violation of the Code of Judicial Ethics.