Bill > SB48

This bill modifies Montana law regarding judicial standards complaints to explicitly protect a citizen's right to publicly discuss their complaint against a judicial officer at any time, addressing a previous confidentiality requirement that may have restricted free speech. Specifically, the bill amends two sections of Montana Code Annotated to clarify that while the Judicial Standards Commission maintains its investigation process, a person who files a complaint can now freely speak about their complaint publicly without fear of violating confidentiality rules. The bill's underlying intent, as stated in its preamble, is to ensure that citizens are not forced to choose between filing a formal complaint and exercising their right to free speech about alleged judicial misconduct. Under the new provisions, citizens can now make their complaints public during or after the commission's investigation, and the commission itself may issue public statements about the case if the matter becomes public through the complainant, independent sources, or other circumstances. This change aims to increase transparency in the judicial complaint process while maintaining the commission's ability to conduct thorough investigations into potential judicial misconduct.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/20251/LC0611