Issue 6:9 is here.

• International/sharia law bans advancing in four states
• Changes to mandatory judicial retirement ages moving rapidly through FL, WA & WY; dead in SD
• New Hampshire House tries to curtail supreme court’s rule making powers
• Judicial salary increases active in MS & WY, opposed in OK
• Florida’s House ties merit selection changes to scholarships for women/minority law students
• Veterans Courts considered in HI, NJ, OK, WV
• E-Filing in Florida: how and how much?

Issue 6:8 is here.

• Iowa threatens to jail any judge who uses foreign law
• Kansas would force judicial candidates prove their citizenship
• Florida’s Senate tries to change way state’s courts are funded
• Judicial salary increases: introduced in Wyoming, advance in New Mexico, opposed in Oklahoma
• Florida’s House Judiciary Committee approves plan to revise state’s judicial nominating omissions
• Illinois tries to bolster privacy protection for judges by withholding addresses and similar information from public

Issue 6:7 is here.

• Focus Trend: Letting more people carry guns into courthouses
• South Dakota looks to prohibit judicial enforcement of any religious codes
• Minnesota bill would guarantee 2 Court of Appeals judges per Congressional district
• Changes to court technology fees advance in Illinois but die in Virginia
• Efforts to increase mandatory judicial retirement moving in three states

Issue 6:6 is here.

• Bans on court use of international law advance in FL, VA; fail in SD; introduced in MS
• Changes to court security proposed in Minnesota and Oregon
• Veterans’ Courts again top legislative agenda in Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, and Maryland
• Increases to mandatory judicial retirement ages approved in Florida, Virginia, South Dakota
• Tennessee Senate committee votes to change state’s judicial disciplinary body
• Florida House Appropriations Committee OKs bill to remove clerks of court from state budget
• Ohio Senate committee approves bill to make it easier for courts to collect debts
• Arizona and West Virginia bills would require judicial vacancies be filled by individuals of the same political party as former officeholder
• Alabama bill would strengthen penalties for impersonating a judge and purporting to conduct sham legal proceedings

Issue 6:5 is here.

• Delaware Senate looks at opening up Family Court proceedings
• Florida legislature advances plans to tie judicial retirement benefits to changes in merit selection
• Veterans’ Courts considered in Hawaii & Washington
• Cameras in the court bills introduced in New York and South Dakota
• New Hampshire House committee rejects effort to repeal state’s supreme court & require all judges be at least 60 years old
• Nebraska may raise judicial salaries
• Ohio Senate committee approves bill to increase penalties for crimes against judges
• Indiana House may require some town/city court judges be attorneys

Issue 6:4 is here.

• Jury nullification makes it out of New Hampshire Senate and back to House
• Oklahoma tries again to increase small claims jurisdiction
• Plans to raise mandatory judicial retirement ages advance in FL, die in VA
• Virginia may split $5 court technology fee with $4 staying locally
• Florida tackles issue of e-filing and e-storage
• West Virginia tries to come up with new ways to pay of public financing of supreme court races
• Latest bill to abolish Tennessee’s existing judicial disciplinary body

Issue 6:3 is here.

• Missouri constitutional amendment would ban state courts from enforcing federal law
• Tennessee bills would end judicial review by state courts, require drug testing of judges
• West Virginia may require magistrate court judges have a bachelor’s degree, could create intermediate appellate court
• Virginia legislature looks to change how it funds court technology, may direct weighted caseload and other studies of the commonwealth’s courts
• Kentucky and Ohio consider public financing for judicial campaigns
• Vermont bill would require judges give a jury nullification instruction

Issue 5:50 (December 9) is here.

• Florida lottery winners would have to pay off court debts before receiving their winnings

Issue 5:49 (December 2) is here.

• New Jersey considers constitutional amendment to outright delete provision that prohibits diminishment of judicial salaries during the term of a judge’s appointment
• Michigan may require magistrates be attorneys

Issue 5:47 & 48 (November 18 & 25) is here.

• Focus Topic: Medical malpractice courts
• New Hampshire House committee approves plans to expand and make public judicial performance evaluations; end marital master program