Hearings About State Judicial Watchdog Agency Begin Thursday
State lawmakers on Thursday will begin a series of hearings to look into how the state’s judicial watchdog agency operates.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission investigates complaints of misconduct against state judges, but some state lawmakers have raised questions about the agency’s transparency.
“It serves as an autonomous body,” said state Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs), who chairs the study committee about the commission. “No one has any say-so over their actions and the way they conduct their business.”
But supporters of the Judicial Qualifications Commission say it’s the autonomy of the watchdog agency that has made it work effectively.
The study committee meetings, which starts 11 a.m. Thursday, will meet weekly for several weeks, Willard said.
The state legislature this year approved legislation that would put on November’s ballot a plan to amend the constitution to abolish and recreate the commission.
If approved, the state legislature would get to appoint the majority of the commission’s seven members, while the governor would appoint one member and the Supreme Court of Georgia would appoint two.
Currently, the governor appoints two members, the Supreme Court of Georgia appoints two, and the state Bar of Georgia appoints three.
Critics of the proposed changes say they would strip the commission of its independence.
“This would give the legislature unprecedented authority and power over another branch of government,” said Brinkley Serkedakis, executive director for Common Cause Georgia, a political advocacy group.
Meanwhile, the former head of the commission, who recently resigned last month, said in a letter he will not voluntarily appear to testify at the hearings. In the letter, Mark Dehler said he had “serious concerns” about the study commission and the objectivity of the process.
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