Bill > H1529

This bill proposes changes to judicial accountability in Massachusetts by establishing a new process for initiating impeachment proceedings against judges. Specifically, it amends existing law to allow for charges to be brought against a sitting judge if either five signed affidavits from citizens detailing reasons for concern are submitted within a sixty-day period, or if a petition with twenty-five certified signatures outlining similar reasons is presented within a six-month period, with both methods requiring submission to a member of the House of Representatives. Upon receiving such a submission, the House of Representatives would have thirty days to schedule a hearing to consider impeachment proceedings and formally present charges to the House, with the accused judge being immediately notified and given thirty days to respond in writing to the chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. If the House impeaches, the Senate would then try the accused within sixty days, with senators sworn in as jurors and proceedings governed by rules consistent with the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedures, and all hearings by both the House and Senate would be open to the public.