Opinion ID: 1401746
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Proposed Initiative on 1999-2000# 104 [9]

Text: The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows: AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION CONCERNING JUDICIAL PERSONNEL, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, LIMITING FUTURE TERMS OF OFFICE FOR STATE COURT JUSTICES, JUDGES, AND MAGISTRATES, EXCEPT PROBATE, JUVENILE, AND WATER JUDGES, BEGINNING WITH THE NOVEMBER 2000 ELECTION; DEFINING JUDGES TO INCLUDE JUSTICES AND MAGISTRATES; PROVIDING THAT THE GOVERNOR APPOINT ALL STATE COURT JUDGES SUBJECT TO SENATE AND VOTER APPROVAL; ESTABLISHING A PROCEDURE FOR REMOVAL ELECTIONS; REQUIRING ANY JUDGE TO STAND FOR ELECTION IF CONVICTED OF CERTAIN CRIMES, RECEIVING A NEGATIVE DISCIPLINARY FINDING, OR THE SUBJECT OF A REMOVAL PETITION; RETAINING ONLY THROUGH THE NEXT YEARLY ELECTION ANY JUDGE RECEIVING A MAJORITY VOTE LESS THAN 60%; PUBLICIZING REPORTS ON EACH JUDGE; PROVIDING SPECIFIC VOTER INFORMATION; PROHIBITING CERTAIN PERSONS FROM SERVING AS ACTIVE OR SENIOR JUDGES; PROVIDING ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES; AND REPEALING CERTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS TO CONFORM WITH THIS AMENDMENT. The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows: SHALL THERE BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION CONCERNING JUDICIAL PERSONNEL, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, LIMITING FUTURE TERMS OF OFFICE FOR STATE COURT JUSTICES, JUDGES, AND MAGISTRATES, EXCEPT PROBATE, JUVENILE, AND WATER JUDGES, BEGINNING WITH THE NOVEMBER 2000 ELECTION; DEFINING JUDGES TO INCLUDE JUSTICES AND MAGISTRATES; PROVIDING THAT THE GOVERNOR APPOINT ALL STATE COURT JUDGES SUBJECT TO SENATE AND VOTER APPROVAL; ESTABLISHING A PROCEDURE FOR REMOVAL ELECTIONS; REQUIRING ANY JUDGE TO STAND FOR ELECTION IF CONVICTED OF CERTAIN CRIMES, RECEIVING A NEGATIVE DISCIPLINARY FINDING, OR THE SUBJECT OF A REMOVAL PETITION; RETAINING ONLY THROUGH THE NEXT YEARLY ELECTION ANY JUDGE RECEIVING A MAJORITY VOTE LESS THAN 60%; PUBLICIZING REPORTS ON EACH JUDGE; PROVIDING SPECIFIC VOTER INFORMATION; PROHIBITING CERTAIN PERSONS FROM SERVING AS ACTIVE OR SENIOR JUDGES; PROVIDING ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES; AND REPEALING CERTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS TO CONFORM WITH THIS AMENDMENT? The summary prepared by the Board is as follows: This measure amends the Colorado constitution and would affect all county, district, and water court judges and magistrates, the probate and juvenile court judges and magistrates in the City and County of Denver, judges of the court of appeals, and justices of the supreme court. It would limit future terms of county, district, and court of appeals judges and magistrates and supreme court justices to four years and prohibit such justices, judges, and magistrates from serving more than three future terms at each court level. The measure states that it would be effective after November 6, 2000, and would therefore apply beginning with the November 2000 election. The measure defines judge to include a justice and a magistrate. The measure provides for fixed terms ending on November 15 of an even-numbered year and for a shorter first term, and that any future partial term constitutes a full term. It also provides that any such judge who has served eight years or more at a judicial level is eligible to serve only one additional term at that level. The measure prohibits mandatorily retired, removed from office, or defeated judges from serving as active or senior judges. The measure requires the written consent of all parties for a senior judge to serve, but a term-limited judge cannot serve as a senior judge. The measure changes the manner in which all state court judges are selected by allowing the governor to appoint any qualified elector who resides in the court district even if the person were not recommended by a judicial nominating commission. The measure would prohibit any state court judge from taking office until approved by the senate following a public hearing held after at least ten days' [ sic ] notice. It requires all state court judges to face a retention election in the first annual state election at least 90 days following approval by the senate. The measure would suspend without pay any judge convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or subject to any negative finding by the commission on judicial discipline and require the judge to face a retention election in the next November election at least ninety days following the conviction or finding. The measure would require a removal election if signatures, not to exceed 5% of the total votes cast in the court district for the office of secretary of state, are collected within 12 months on petitions requesting the removal of any active or senior judge. The measure provides procedures for the approval of petition entries including a presumption of validity of specified entries, prohibiting the use of random sampling, and allowing only petitioners to appeal. It also provides that more than one member of the same court may be listed on a single petition and prohibits the listing of reasons for or against retention or removal on the petition or the ballot. If a judge is retained or not removed by a majority vote less than 60%, the measure provides that the judge is retained or not removed only until the November 15 after the next annual election. The measure would establish that all future appellate opinions and all future complaints, papers, hearings, and findings of the commission on judicial discipline are public and must be made computer accessible within 10 days. It would require that calendar year information concerning the caseload, case resolution time, continuances, hours of attendance, and criminal sentencing information for each judge be made public and computer accessible by the following March 1. For each judge facing a retention or removal election, the measure would require that ballot information booklets and mailed election notices contain only information concerning any misdemeanor or felony conviction, any negative finding by the commission on judicial discipline, a true summary of the prior year's record, and a statement in favor of the incumbent and a summary of comments against retention or for removal mailed or filed by any person or group. It would prohibit mentioning or publishing any judicial performance commission review. The measure states that it shall be strictly construed and shall supersede any conflicting law. It provides that any Colorado resident or group has standing to enforce its provisions, that the Colorado supreme court has original jurisdiction to hear, and decide within 60 days, any case concerning its enforcement, and that legal fees and costs shall always be paid only to successful plaintiffs who seek to enforce this measure. The measure would repeal, effective November 7, 2000, conflicting provisions of the Colorado constitution including:  The terms of office and qualifications for judges and justices;  The appointments of judges and justices from a list of nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission;  The confidentiality of papers and proceedings before the commission on judicial discipline;  The requirements that judges and justices above the county court level be licensed to practice law for at least 5 years. The Department of Local Affairs believes that counties may have to pay some of the expenses incurred in making information concerning judges computer accessible. The Department cannot determine the amount of this fiscal impact. The Office of State Planning and Budgeting believes that the measure has a fiscal impact on the general fund of the state that cannot be fully quantified at this time. The requirement that judicial records be made computer accessible would cost approximately $120,000. The bulk of the fiscal impact would be caused by increased judicial vacancies and staff turnover. Additional need for staff research would come from the governor's role in appointing judges and the need for public hearings and senate confirmation of judicial appointments. No title set due to a tie vote regarding the single subject requirement from the board Hearing adjourned at 3:25 p.m. April 9, 1999 Rehearing Granted Title Set May 5, 1999 Rehearing adjourned at 5:17 p.m. May 19, 1999 Rehearing  Mr. Bennett S. Aisenberg Motion for Rehearing denied by a tie vote by the board  Mr. Douglas Campbell Motion for Rehearing granted in part, denied in part Rehearing adjourned at 4:26 p.m. The text of the Initiative is as follows: Section 1. Article VI of the state constitution is amended to add: Section 6. State judicial personnel  selection, retention, and removal. After November 6, 2000: (1) Term limits. Future terms of office for all active county, district, court of appeals, and supreme court judges shall be four years, except for a shorter first term for each office, and shall end on November 15 of an even-numbered year. At each level, no one shall serve more than three future terms of office. Any future partial term, including completing a term of another judge, shall also be a term of office. Anyone who has served eight years or more at one level shall be eligible for only one future term at that level. (2) Selection. The governor shall appoint all future active county, district, probate, juvenile, water, court of appeals, and supreme court judges; and senior judges for service up to 60 court days in any 12 months. No one shall take office without senate approval following a hearing with public testimony, held ten days or more after public notice. Judges need not be chosen from a nominating commission list, but shall be qualified electors residing in their court district while in office. If senate-approved, active judges shall face an election on the next yearly state election date at least 90 days later. (3) Retention and removal. (a) Despite any appeal, sentence delay, or other excuse, any negative discipline commission finding or any misdemeanor or felony conviction shall suspend active and senior judges without pay, and compel a retention vote on the next yearly state election date at least 90 days later. Active and senior judges shall also be subject to removal on the next yearly state election date at least 90 days after petition forms circulated by any adult state residents are filed with required entries, collected within 12 months, of registered electors in that court district not to exceed 5% of the general election votes last cast in that district for all secretary of state candidates. Completed entries with an attached circulator oath are deemed valid unless incumbents, within 14 days after entry filing, prove enough entries invalid. Random sampling is prohibited. Absent systematic fraud, if a petition with sufficient entries be invalidated, petitioners shall then have 14 days to file more entries made at any time. Third filings are barred. Only petitioners may appeal, and shall prevail unless the supreme court rules otherwise on the merits, giving no weight to appealed findings, within 14 days of the appeal filing. One or more members of the same court may be named in the same petition without increasing required entries, but ballot questions and other procedures shall be separate. Delivery of a master petition form, conclusively valid, shall begin the collection period. No petition or ballot shall list reasons for or against retention or removal. (b) To inform potential voters at any retention or removal election: all future appellate opinions and discipline commission complaints, papers, hearings, and findings shall be public, and shall be computer accessible within five days; complete calendar year records on caseload, case resolution time, continuances, hours of courthouse attendance daily, and criminal sentencing by each judge shall be public and computer accessible by the next March 1; and, in 12-point or larger type, ballot information booklets and mailed election notices shall include only a finding or conviction defined in (a), a true summary of the latest yearly record, and up to 500 words each for the incumbent and for a summary by the election official of all comments against retention or for removal, which may be filed or mailed by any person or group. No judicial performance commission review shall be mentioned or published. A majority under 60% shall retain that incumbent, or delay removal, only until the next November 15 after the next yearly state election date. (4) Enforcement. Judge also means justice and magistrate. Section 6 shall be strictly construed; good faith and substantial compliance are insufficient. Its provisions are severable and self-executing, and shall not be balanced or harmonized with, but shall supersede, conflicting laws. Any person or group shall have standing to enforce section 6. Suits shall be filed and orally argued in the supreme court and, except (3)(a) appeals, decided within 60 days of filing. Attorney fees and costs shall always be paid only to successful plaintiffs seeking to enforce section 6. No one shall ever serve as an active or senior judge after mandatory retirement, removal by discipline or election, resignation with a retention or removal election pending, or defeat for retention. No one shall ever serve as a senior judge without the written consent of all parties to a case or after being term-limited. Section 2. Article VI, sections 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 20(1), 20(3), 23(3)(g), and the second sentence of 10(2) of the state constitution are repealed November 7, 2000.