Colorado § 13-5.3-103 - Office of judicial discipline - created - executive director - duties - oversight.

§ 13-5.3-103. Office of judicial discipline - created - executive director - duties - oversight.

(1) (a) The office of judicial discipline is established as an independent office housed within the department. The commission shall oversee the office.

(b) Subject to the commission's supervision, the office shall:

(I) Staff and support the commission's operations. The initial staffing includes the executive director, a full-time administrative support person, an attorney, and an investigator.

(II) Receive requests for evaluation involving justices and judges;

(III) Conduct public education efforts concerning the judicial discipline process and the recommendations made by the commission;

(IV) Engage in and provide educational background to the public, the department, judicial nominating commissions, and judicial performance commissions regarding the requirements of the code and the commission; and

(V) Complete any other duties as assigned by the commission.

(2) (a) The commission shall appoint an executive director of the office. The executive director:

(I) Shall be admitted to practice law in the courts of this state and have practiced law in this state for at least ten years;

(II) Shall not be involved in the private practice of law while serving as the executive director; and

(III) Shall not appear as an attorney before the commission for a period of five years following service as the executive director.

(b) The executive director serves at the pleasure of the commission. The executive director's compensation is the same as the compensation the general assembly establishes for district court judges. The executive director shall hire additional staff for the office as necessary and as approved by the commission.

(c) The executive director has the following duties:

(I) Establish and maintain a permanent office;

(II) Respond to inquiries about the commission or the code;

(III) Advise the commission on the application and interpretation of the code and the rules;

(IV) Process requests for evaluation of judicial conduct;

(V) Conduct or supervise evaluations and investigations as directed by the commission;

(VI) Advise the commission as to potential dispositional recommendations as may be requested by the commission;

(VII) Maintain commission records;

(VIII) Maintain statistics concerning the operation of the commission and make them available to the commission;

(IX) Prepare the commission's budget and, once approved by the commission, submit it to the joint budget committee of the general assembly;

(X) Administer commission money and resources, including money in the commission on judicial discipline special cash fund;

(XI) Supervise commission staff;

(XII) Notify the appropriate appointing authority of vacancies on the commission;

(XIII) Assist the commission in preparing an annual report of the commission's activities for presentation to the commission, the supreme court, and the public;

(XIV) Supervise special counsel, investigators, other experts, or personnel as directed by the commission, as they investigate and process matters before the commission and before the supreme court; and

(XV) Perform such other duties as required by the rules, this article 5.3, the rules promulgated by the commission, or the commission.

(3) The department shall provide the commission and the office with office space in the Ralph L. Carr Colorado judicial center.

(4) Repealed.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added, (SB 22-201), ch. 201, p. 1347, § 2, effective May 20. L. 2023: (3) amended and (4) added, (SB 23-228), ch. 96, p. 361, § 2, effective April 20.

Editor's note: Subsection (4)(b) provided for the repeal of subsection (4), effective July 1, 2024. (See L. 2023, p. 361.)

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-201, see section 1 of chapter 201, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.