Opinion ID: 2600337
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Commission's Role in the Process

Text: Under Alaska law, the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct also plays a role in the judicial retention process, albeit a considerably more limited role than the one played by the Council. Like the Council, the Commission is an independent state agency established under the Alaska Constitution. [20] The Commission's primary constitutional duty is to investigate complaints of judicial misconduct and to recommend the imposition of appropriate sanctions by the Alaska Supreme Court. [21] The Alaska Constitution gives the legislature authority to establish the Commission's specific powers and duties. [22] One such duty, set out in AS 22.30.011(h), requires that, when a judge files a declaration of candidacy to stand for retention, the Commission must give the Council a report disclosing any public discipline imposed against that judge, so that the discipline will be included with the Council's evaluation in the Election Pamphlet. [23] As evidenced by the Council's 2004 evaluations, the Commission reports the required information to the Council during the course of the Council's retention investigation, well in advance of the August 1 deadline for judges to file declarations with the Division. [24] Thus, in performing its statutory duty to report any public discipline imposed on a judge who has filed a declaration of candidacy for retention in office, the Commission, like the Council, considers any judge under active review by the Council to be a judge who has filed a declaration.