STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1613

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1954

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1954, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JUSTICES AND JUDGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require timely public disclosure by the Commission on Judicial Conduct of sanctions imposed on state court justices and judges by the Supreme Court.

     The Office of the Public Defender submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Limiting the requirement for public disclosure to cases of serious misconduct;

(2)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1954, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1954, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair