April 8

Arkansas Senate

SB 694 AS AMENDED: Provides judge/justice may not use “Judge” or “Justice” on ballot unless 1) they were elected to a judicial office in the last election 2) they are seeking the office of circuit or district judge and 3) they serving as a judge for at least 12 months.

Florida Senate Judiciary Committee

SJR 570 (Constitutional Amendment) Increases mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75, but only for judges elected or appointed after January 1, 2014.

April 9

Arkansas House Judiciary Committee

HB 1348 Prohibits court use or enforcement of international law.

April 10

April 11

Illinois Senate Revenue Committee

HB 2327 ORIGINAL: Authorizes county boards to require the clerk of the circuit court to charge and collect a court automation fee of up to $25 (instead of $15) and a court document fee of up to $25 (instead of $15). AS AMENDED: Same, but limits the fee amount imposed upon certain defendants to not less than $1 nor more than $15.

April 12

April 1

Arkansas Joint Committee on Constitutional Amendments

HJR 1005 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides for merit selection system for state supreme court justices. Explicitly prohibits justice from engaging in partisan/party activity.

HJR 1012 (Constitutional Amendment) Placeholder, bill to be amended to deal with “amending the process for selecting justices of the Supreme Court and amending Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution and other constitutional provisions concerning the litigation of civil claims.

HJR 1014 (Constitutional Amendment) Placeholder, bill to be amended to deal with “amending the process for selecting justices of the Supreme Court and clarifying the Supreme Court and clarifying substantive and procedural law and rights under Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution.

SJR 5 (Constitutional Amendment) ORIGINAL: Removes Supreme Court’s rulemaking power and transfers to legislature. AS AMENDED: provides “General Assembly shall delegate nonexclusive authority to the Supreme Court” regarding rulemaking. Provides laws enacted by General Assembly supersede rules adopted by Supreme Court.

Florida Senate Judiciary Committee

SJR 570 (Constitutional Amendment) Increases mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75, but only for judges elected or appointed after January 1, 2014

SJR 1740 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes supreme court’s rulemaking authority with respect to death penalty cases. (click here for detailed prior coverage)

Texas House Elections Committee

HB 1857 Ends straight-ticket voting for county and precinct officers, including trial and court of appeals judges.

Texas House Judiciary Committee

HB 2302 Provides for either a $5 or $15 fee, depending on court type, on civil filings and criminal convictions to pay for electronic filings in state courts.

Texas Senate State Affairs Committee

SB 103 Eliminates straight-party voting for judicial offices.

SB 577 Retains partisan judicial elections for initial terms. Replaces partisan re-elections with nonpartisan retention elections.

SJR 34 (Constitutional Amendment) Retains partisan judicial elections for initial terms. Replaces partisan re-elections with nonpartisan retention elections.

April 2

Indiana Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee

HB 1393 Establishes the judicial technology oversight committee (committee) to: (1) conduct a continuous study of information technology applications for Indiana’s judicial system; (2) develop a long range strategy for technology and automation in Indiana’s judicial system; and (3) make recommendations to the supreme court concerning the implementation of policies, standards, and rules that promote the effective use of technology and automation in Indiana courts. Increases the automated record keeping fee from $5 to $10 for all civil, criminal, infraction, and ordinance violation actions with certain exceptions. Provides that the automated record keeping fee is $5 for all civil, criminal, infraction, and ordinance violation actions resulting in the accused person entering into a: (1) pretrial diversion program agreement; or (2) deferral program agreement.

Maryland House Judiciary Committee

SB 770 Prohibits a person from filing false liens or encumbrances against judges, court staff, and other public/elected officials.

April 3

Tennessee Senate Government Operations Committee

SB 1058 AS AMENDED: Removes all judicial performance evaluation commission members. Replaces with 9 members, none of whom are judges (currently there must be 3 out of 9). Provides new JPEC allowed to rewrite any existing evaluation criteria (current criteria are set by Supreme Court Rule 27). Provides if JPEC recommends against judge, judge in not allowed to run for retention election (currently may run even if JPEC recommends against).

Texas House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee.

HB 2147 Allows any county officer to carry a firearm in a courthouse.

April 4

April 5

Going out of session

Kentucky 3/26/13

North Dakota 3/28/13 Remains in session

March 25

Arkansas Joint Committee on Public Retirement & Social Security Programs

SB 201 Repeals automatic loss of retirement benefits for judges who seek office after reaching 70 years of age. (This is effectively a mandatory retirement age for judges in state).

Texas House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee

HB 1448  Provides justice court technology fund may be used for education of constables and purchase of technology enchantments for constables.

March 26

Arkansas Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee

SB 870 Shifts judicial elections onto November general election ballot.

Washington House Public Safety Committee

SB 5484 Provides assault of a person in a courthouse, courtroom or building associated with court proceedings is a class C felony.

March 27

Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1393 Establishes the judicial technology oversight committee  to: (1) conduct a continuous study of information technology applications for Indiana’s judicial system; (2) develop a long range strategy for technology and automation in Indiana’s judicial system; and (3) make recommendations to the supreme court concerning the implementation of policies, standards, and rules that promote the effective use of technology and automation in Indiana courts. Increases the automated record keeping fee from $5 to $10 for all civil, criminal, infraction, and ordinance violation actions with certain exceptions. Provides that the automated record keeping fee is $5 for all civil, criminal, infraction, and ordinance violation actions resulting in the accused person entering into a: (1) pretrial diversion program agreement; or (2) deferral program agreement.

New Hampshire House

HB 652 Increases court filing fees and increases the percentage of such fees to be deposited in the judicial branch information technology fund.

Oregon House Judiciary Committee

HB 2561 Authorizes Chief Justice of Supreme Court to establish reasonable fees for use of state court electronic applications and systems.

March 28

March 29

March 18

Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 2310 Requires administrative office of the courts evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of the mental health courts and specialized probation caseloads that currently operate in state and municipal courts. Requires AOC develop standards for the design, training in and procedures to establish and implement efficient, effective and accountable mental health courts at the county and municipal levels throughout the state.

HB 2459 Revises numerous provisions related to civil and criminal procedures in Justice of the Peace Courts.

Arkansas Senate Joint Committee on Public Retirement & Social Security Programs

SB 201 Repeals automatic loss of retirement benefits for judges who seek office after reaching 70 years of age.

Indiana House Judiciary Committee

SB 103 Provides that the nonattorney members of the judicial nominating commission shall be appointed by the governor from a list of recommended candidates submitted by the president pro tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the senate, and the minority leader of the house of representatives.

March 19

Arkansas Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee

SJR 6 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes Supreme Court’s rulemaking power and transfers to legislature.

North Dakota House Judiciary Committee

SB 2078 AS AMENDED: Directs legislative management study of the assessment of fees by courts, the feasibility and desirability of combining various court fees, and whether courts should be mandated to impose fees established by statute.

Washington House Judiciary Committee

SB 5046 Extends mandatory retirement age for district court judges only from end of year judge turns 75 to end of term of office judge turns 75.

March 20

Illinois House Judiciary Committee

HB 2218 Provides that the Supreme Court shall establish rules requiring that immediately upon the assignment of a matter to a judge, an attorney in the matter must disclose to the court and parties to the matter any campaign contribution made to the judge by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm. Provides that the rules shall provide that in the event that the aggregate of any campaign contributions made in the past 5 years to the judge’s campaign by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm was in excess of $500, the judge shall disqualify himself or herself upon timely application made by a party to the matter who has not made any contribution to the judge’s campaign. Provides that the rules shall not preclude disqualification due to any other rule or with respect to contributions under $500 or made more than 5 years before the assignment of the matter to the judge. Provides that the rules shall apply to contributions to a person who becomes a judge and who received contributions to the person’s campaign for a nomination for election to any judicial office, an election of a judicial candidate, and a judicial retention election.

March 21

March 22

Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee

SB 333 (Constitutional Amendment) & SB 334 Eliminates Traffic Court of Philadelphia

Going out of session

Utah 3/14/13

New Mexico 3/16/13

March 11

Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 2600 Provides merit selection commissions must provide governor at least 5 names (constitution says at least 3 names) to fill a judicial vacancy. Requires the voting records of all commission members, which include how each individual voted, to be recorded in the minutes and made public.

Kansas House

SB 8 ORIGINAL: Ends merit selection in state. Provides governor may select nominees subject to senate confirmation. Creates Commission on Judicial Qualifications to review governor’s pick and make recommendations prior to Senate confirmation. Provides failure by Senate to vote on candidate within certain time frame results in automatic confirmation. AMENDED: Same, but renames commission Judicial Nominating Commission.

Kansas Senate Committee of the Whole

HB 2019 Ends merit selection for court of appeals only. Provides governor may select nominees subject to senate confirmation. Provides failure by Senate to vote on candidate within certain time frame results in automatic confirmation.

Oklahoma Senate

SJR 21 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends states merit selection system. Allows governor to appoint any qualified person. Prior to submission to senate, allows judicial nominating commission to make advisory recommendation. Provides recommendation to be sent to Senate and Senate to confirm nominee.

SJR 22 (Constitutional Amendment) Allows governor to appoint chief justice (currently, chief justice is chosen by court).

Tennessee House

SJR 2 Provides governor may appoint anyone who meets age and residency requirements to appellate courts with legislative confirmation. Provides nominee is deemed confirmed if legislature fails to act on nomination within 60 calendar days of nomination or 60 days of start of legislative session (if nominated out of session). Provides for retention elections.

March 12

Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 1768 Allows Supreme Court to set additional filing and other fees to pay for e-filing and electronic case management systems and to pay for Supreme Court established committees and commissions.

Minnesota House Elections Committee

Minnesota HB 1083 (Constitutional Amendment) Creates merit selection system for all judges in state. Requires judges up for retention election be subject to judicial performance evaluation commission.

March 13

Illinois House Judiciary Committee

HB 2218 Provides that the Supreme Court shall establish rules requiring that immediately upon the assignment of a matter to a judge, an attorney in the matter must disclose to the court and parties to the matter any campaign contribution made to the judge by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm. Provides that the rules shall provide that in the event that the aggregate of any campaign contributions made in the past 5 years to the judge’s campaign by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm was in excess of $500, the judge shall disqualify himself or herself upon timely application made by a party to the matter who has not made any contribution to the judge’s campaign. Provides that the rules shall not preclude disqualification due to any other rule or with respect to contributions under $500 or made more than 5 years before the assignment of the matter to the judge. Provides that the rules shall apply to contributions to a person who becomes a judge and who received contributions to the person’s campaign for a nomination for election to any judicial office, an election of a judicial candidate, and a judicial retention election.

New Hampshire House

CACR 7 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides legislature alone shall have the authority and full discretion to define reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education and to establish reasonable standards of accountability therefor. Provides legislature alone shall have full discretion to determine the amount of, and methods of raising and distributing, state funding for education.

March 14

March 15

Coming into session

Florida 3/5/20213

March 4

Arkansas Joint Committee on Public Retirement & Social Security Programs

SB 201 Repeals automatic loss of retirement benefits for judges who seek office after reaching 70 years of age.

Arkansas Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.

SJR 6 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes Supreme Court’s rulemaking power and transfers to legislature.

March 5

Arizona House

HB 2600 Provides merit selection commissions must provide governor at least 5 names (constitution says at least 3 names) to fill a judicial vacancy. Approved by House Public Safety, Military and Regulatory Affairs Committee 2/20/13.

Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 1768 Allows Supreme Court to set additional filing and other fees to pay for e-filing and electronic case management systems and to pay for Supreme Court established committees and commissions.

March 6

Florida Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 58 Provides any court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency ruling or decision violates the public policy of this state and is void and unenforceable if the court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency bases its ruling or decision in the matter at issue in whole or in part on any foreign law, legal code, or system that does not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges guaranteed by the State Constitution or the United States Constitution. Establishes exceptions for business contracts, corporations, partnerships, or other forms of business association. Permits religions organizations to adjudicate ecclesiastical matters. Provides that proposed law is not to be in conflict with U.S. treaties

Illinois House Judiciary Committee

HB 2218 Provides that the Supreme Court shall establish rules requiring that immediately upon the assignment of a matter to a judge, an attorney in the matter must disclose to the court and parties to the matter any campaign contribution made to the judge by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm. Provides that the rules shall provide that in the event that the aggregate of any campaign contributions made in the past 5 years to the judge’s campaign by the attorney or the attorney’s law firm was in excess of $500, the judge shall disqualify himself or herself upon timely application made by a party to the matter who has not made any contribution to the judge’s campaign. Provides that the rules shall not preclude disqualification due to any other rule or with respect to contributions under $500 or made more than 5 years before the assignment of the matter to the judge. Provides that the rules shall apply to contributions to a person who becomes a judge and who received contributions to the person’s campaign for a nomination for election to any judicial office, an election of a judicial candidate, and a judicial retention election.

New Hampshire House

HB 652 Increases court filing fees and increases the percentage of such fees to be deposited in the judicial branch information technology fund. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 2/19/13.

March 7

March 8

February 25

Arkansas Joint Committee on Public Retirement & Social Security Programs

SB 201 Repeals automatic loss of retirement benefits for judges who seek office after reaching 70 years of age.

Hawaii House Finance Committee

HB 275 (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes the chief justice to appoint judges who have retired upon attaining the age of seventy years as emeritus judges. Permits appointed judges to serve as temporary judges in courts no higher than the court level they reached prior to retirement and for terms not to exceed three months per each appointment.

Tennessee House

HJR 8 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides governor may appoint anyone who meets age and residency requirements to appellate courts with legislative confirmation. Provides nominee is deemed confirmed if legislature fails to act on nomination within 60 calendar days of nomination or 60 days of start of legislative session (if nominated out of session). Provides for retention elections.

February 26

Arkansas House Judiciary Committee

HB 1263 Repeals automatic loss of retirement benefits for judges who seek office after reaching 70 years of age.

Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee

SB 294 Provides candidate for circuit court may not be nominated in party primary, may not be nominated by other party process, and must be elected at general election on a nonpartisan basis. (Currently the names of incumbent judges and challengers appear without party affiliation on both the Republican and Democratic primary ballots.)

SB 295 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides for merit selection with retention elections for Circuit Court judges.

SB 327 Provides candidate for orphans’ court may not be nominated in party primary, may not be nominated by other party process, and must be elected at general election on a nonpartisan basis. (Currently elected on partisan ballot).

New Hampshire House Education Committee

CACR 7 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides legislature alone shall have the authority and full discretion to define reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education and to establish reasonable standards of accountability therefor. Provides legislature alone shall have full discretion to determine the amount of, and methods of raising and distributing, state funding for education.

Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 1050 Requires all courts in the state to utilize the same system provider for operating an electronic court filing system; provided, the administrative office of the courts shall make the determination of the provider

February 27

New Hampshire House

HB 652 Increases court filing fees and increases the percentage of such fees to be deposited in the judicial branch information technology fund.

February 28

March 1

Nevada Assembly Judiciary Committee

AB 84 Requires certain district courts to establish an appropriate program for the treatment of certain offenders who are veterans or members of the military.

Coming out of session

Virginia 2/23/13

February 18

Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 1415 Provides Supreme Court to license attorneys. Provides anyone may take bar exam and that no one may be denied admission to the bar solely because the person in not a law school graduate

North Dakota Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1073 Grants supreme court power to declare judicial emergencies. Allows for supreme court to toll statutes/deadlines. Does not allow for tolling or extension of deadlines or requirements imposed by U.S. or North Dakota constitution. Approved by full House 1/17/13.

February 19

Kansas House Judiciary Committee

SB 8 Ends merit selection in state. Provides governor may select nominees subject to senate confirmation. Creates Judicial Nominating Commission to review governor’s pick and make recommendations prior to Senate confirmation. Provides failure by Senate to vote on candidate within certain time frame results in automatic confirmation. Approved by full Senate 1/31/13.

Tennessee House Finance, Ways & Means Committee

HJR 8 Provides governor may appoint anyone who meets age and residency requirements to appellate courts with legislative confirmation. Provides nominee is deemed confirmed if legislature fails to act on nomination within 60 calendar days of nomination or 60 days of start of legislative session (if nominated out of session). Provides for retention elections.

February 20

Arizona House Public Safety, Military and Regulatory Affairs Committee

HB 2600 Provides merit selection commissions must provide governor at least 5 names (constitution says at least 3 names) to fill a judicial vacancy.

February 21

Maryland House Judiciary Committee

HB 515 Provides candidate for orphans’ court may not be nominated in party primary, may not be nominated by other party process, and must be elected at general election on a nonpartisan basis. (Currently elected on partisan ballot).

Tennessee House

HB 796 Extends state’s judicial nominating commission until June 30, 2013.

Tennessee Senate

SJR 2 Provides governor may appoint anyone who meets age and residency requirements to appellate courts with legislative confirmation. Provides nominee is deemed confirmed if legislature fails to act on nomination within 60 calendar days of nomination or 60 days of start of legislative session (if nominated out of session). Provides for retention elections.

February 22

Coming into session

West Virginia 2/13/13

February 11

Missouri Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

SB 118 Authorizes circuit courts or a combination of circuits to create veterans treatment courts

Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee

SB 811 Provides that any person who knowingly files a fraudulent lien or encumbrance in a public record against the real or personal property of another, knowing or having reason to know that such lien or encumbrance is false or contains a materially false or fraudulent statement or representation is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

SB 853 Elevates the  punishment for committing an assault and battery against a magistrate who is  engaged in the performance of his public duties from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony, with a six-month mandatory minimum term of confinement. The bill incorporates SB 966.

SB 979 Permits the chief judge of a general district court to direct the clerk of that court to destroy documents related to civil and criminal cases that have been ended for a period of three years, provided that they have been microfilmed or converted to an electronic format. Currently, such documents must be retained for 10 years.

Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee

HB 1658 Revises various powers and duties of circuit court clerks for certification of records, assessment of fees, etc., such as (i) providing that the use of the term “copy teste,” “true copy,” or “certified copy” is prima facie evidence that a document is a certified copy of the official record kept in the clerk’s office; (ii) providing that a judgment for certain assessments or fees to be paid to the clerk of court shall be recorded as a judgment in favor of the Commonwealth if such assessments or fees are not fully paid on the date of sentencing; (iii) allowing the clerk to charge for copies of records provided to court-appointed counsel in criminal cases and requiring that such counsel be reimbursed for such charges by the Criminal Fund, (iv) allowing the clerk to charge up to $10 for any service rendered by the clerk that is not part of a court proceeding and for which no specific fee is provided by law; (v) defining “operational expenses,” which are funded by certain clerk’s fees, to include various technology maintenance and enhancements; (vi) clarifying that a clerk shall forward an abstract of certain convictions to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 18 days after such conviction or, in the case of civil judgments, within 30 days after the judgment has become final (vii) allowing the clerk to maintain records in adoption cases in electronic format; and (viii) repealing the requirement that a clerk verify the accuracy of a record made by him.

Tennessee Senate

SJR 2 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides governor may appoint anyone who meets age and residency requirements to appellate courts with legislative confirmation. Provides nominee is deemed confirmed if legislature fails to act on nomination within 60 calendar days of nomination or 60 days of start of legislative session (if nominated out of session). Provides for retention elections.Previously approved by 2011/2012 legislative session, Must be approved by 2013/2014 session.

February 12

Missouri House Veterans Committee

HB 309 Establishes the Military Veterans and Servicemembers Court Program to provide treatment and intervention to veterans and servicemembers charged or convicted of certain crimes.

New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee

HB 652 Increases court filing fees and increases the percentage of such fees to be deposited in the judicial branch information technology fund.

February 13
February 14

Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee

SCR 1608 (Constitutional Amendment) Specifies “The financing of the educational interests of the state is exclusively a legislative power under article 2 of the constitution of the state of Kansas and as such shall be established solely by the legislature.”

Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee

SB 327 Provides candidate for orphans’ court may not be nominated in party primary, may not be nominated by other party process, and must be elected at general election on a nonpartisan basis. (Currently elected on partisan ballot).

 Michigan House Judiciary Committee

HB 4064 Allows for use of digital court records and electronically filing of court papers.

February 15