As reported today in many papers, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has named a high-level panel to investigate the federal courts' handling of judicial misconduct. According to the Washington Post story:
Justice Stephen G. Breyer will chair the six-member panel, according to a statement published this week in the newsletter of the federal courts. The committee will hold its first meeting next month in Washington.Here is the Indianapolis Star coverage, which leads with: "U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker of Indiana has been named to a panel to study federal judicial ethics." Posted by Marcia Oddi at May 26, 2004 08:03 AM"There has been some recent criticism from Congress about the way in which the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980 is being implemented, and I decided that the best way to see if there are any real problems is to have a committee look into it," Rehnquist said in the statement. * * *
The act of Congress cited by Rehnquist defines judicial misconduct and articulates the standards for judges to use when deciding whether to recuse themselves from a case in which they, a spouse or a child might have, or be seen as having, an interest. That can include a financial interest or membership on a board involved in the case. The act applies to lower federal courts and does not mention the Supreme Court. * * *
In addition to Breyer, the other five members are: Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, based in Richmond; Judge Pasco M. Bowman II, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, based in St. Louis; Judge D. Brock Hornby, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine; Judge Sarah Evans Barker, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana; and Sally M. Rider, the chief justice's administrative assistant.
Rehnquist's statement gave little information about the committee's mission, which is "to evaluate how the federal judicial system is dealing with judicial misbehavior and disability."