The state's Judicial Conduct Commission (JCC) says fiscal year 2005 marked an all-time high for complaints filed against state and local justice court judges.
There were 129 written complaints filed asking the commission to investigate, JCC Executive Director Colin Winchester told members at a Tuesday meeting. But it's hard to know exactly why people are complaining.
Most of the commission's work is kept confidential - complaints are not open to the public. They eventually become public only if they result in a rare recommendation that the Utah Supreme Court publicly discipline a judge.
The single biggest group of complaints, in general, usually allege a judge had a bias in a case, Winchester said.
Created in the mid-1980s, the commission investigates complaints using a yearly budget of just over $200,000.
Rules of conduct require judges to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary, to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety and to act impartially.
The JCC is expected to release its full annual report next month.
Grievances in past 5 years
* 2000: 97
* 2001: 115
* 2002: 94
* 2003: 97
* 2004: 94
* 2005: 129
* Source: Utah Judicial Conduct Commission fiscal year statistics
