Georgia’s governor on Monday signed a bill that reconfigures and expands the state’s judicial watchdog agency. The Judicial Qualifications Commission was created by a constitutional amendment in 1972 as an independent agency to investigate ethics complaints against judges and recommend disciplinary action if needed. But Georgia voters in November voted overwhelmingly to approve a constitutional amendment that abolished the agency and instructed state lawmakers to recreate it.
In addition to expanding the number of commission members from seven to 10, the legislation sponsored by Rep. Wendell Willard, a Republican from Sandy Springs, also creates separate investigative and hearing panels. It gives legislative leaders power they didn’t previously have to appoint members of the commission and strips appointments from the Georgia State Bar.
