TN lawmakers look at public judicial investigations

Lawmakers Consider Public Judge Investigations
Senator Says Everyone Should Know Allegation, Outcome
Dennis Ferrier
October 4, 2010
WSMV.com
http://www.wsmv.com/news/25278059/detail.html

If a Tennessee judge does something illegal, inappropriate or acts beneath the office, a special group of judges investigates the charges. Now those investigators are on the witness stand as lawmakers consider making judge investigations completely public for the first time.

The investigation of judges in the state of Tennessee is a largely private affair.

For example, an average of about one complaint per day was reported in 2009, and 95 percent of those complaints were dismissed without investigation. Of the handful of cases where the court of the judiciary found problems with judges, five were settled with private letters, five were settled with public letters and censure and seven were retired because the judge quit.

Sen. Mae Beavers, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that everyone should have the benefit of knowing both the allegation and the outcome.

“I just don’t ever think it’s a good idea to be so secretive,” said Beavers. “There are judges that may have done something that’s rather egregious, and yet it’s kept private.

“But the judges who investigate judges insist on private reprimands.

“A lot of times, these issues are so minor that a single letter can stop this,” said Judge Don Ashe of the Court of the Judiciary.

“Of course, it’s a benefit to the judge to keep it all in secret, but it’s not a benefit to the individual whose rights have been violated,” said family activist Janice Johnson.