District of Columbia Judicial Reorganization Act of 1990

Summary

District of Columbia Judicial Reorganization Act of 1990 - Title I: Supreme Court of the District of Columbia - Amends the District of Columbia Code to establish the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (Court) consisting of a chief justice and six associate justices with jurisdiction over appeals from final decisions of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals that meet specified criteria. Allows the Court, at its discretion, to certify a case for review before it has been determined by the D.C. Court of Appeals, but only under limited circumstances described in this Act. Allows the Court to: (1) answer questions of law certified to it by the U.S. Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals of the United States, or the highest court of any State, if a question of D.C. law may be determinative of the case pending in the certifying court; and (2) order the certification of a question of law of another State to the highest court of such State. Provides for the temporary assignment of Court judges to and from other D.C. courts. Directs the chief justice of the Court to annually summon the active judges of the D.C. courts to a Judicial Conference of the District of Columbia for the purpose of advising as to the means of improving the administration of justice within the District of Columbia. Authorizes appropriations to the District of Columbia for FY 1991 through 1996 for the establishment of the Court. Title II: Judges of the District of Columbia Courts - Makes the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, rather than the President, responsible for designating the chief justice or chief judge of a D.C. court. Title III: Judicial Magistrates - Replaces the hearing commissioners of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with judicial magistrates who shall be appointed by the chief judge of the Superior Court from among individuals recommended by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. Directs the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration to establish a training program for judicial magistrates. Authorizes a judicial magistrate, when authorized by the chief judge of the Superior Court, to make findings and enter final orders or judgments which shall constitute final orders of the Superior Court. Sets forth provisions with respect to the filling of vacancies for judicial magistrate positions. Requires the chief judge of the Superior Court to conduct a study of the utilization and effectiveness of judicial magistrates in the court system and submit a report on the study conducted to the Congress and the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Title IV: Judicial Nomination Commission and Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure - Increases the number of members of the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure from five to nine. Amends the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act to increase the number of members of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission from seven to nine. Title V: Citizens Advisory Committee on the Judicial System of the District of Columbia - Establishes a Citizens Advisory Committee on the Judicial System of the District of Columbia which shall advise the Congress, the Mayor, and the Council of the District of Columbia concerning the fairness and efficiency of the D.C. courts and judicial system. Prohibits such Committee from including in any report submitted any comment on a specific case or action pending before any court of the District of Columbia during the period covered by such report.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 14 March 1990

   Committee

   For Previous Action See H.R.3470.

   Source: Committee

2. 14 March 1990

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on District of Columbia.

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 14 March 1990

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 14 March 1990

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 2 October 1990

   Committee

   Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

   Source: Committee

6. 2 October 1990

   Reported

   Ordered to be Reported.

   Source: Committee

7. 5 October 1990

   Calendars

   Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 504.

   Source: Calendars

8. 5 October 1990

   Reported

   Reported (Amended) by the Committee on District of Columbia. H. Rept. 101-806.

   Source: Committee

9. 5 October 1990

   Reported

   Reported (Amended) by the Committee on District of Columbia. H. Rept. 101-806.

   Source: Committee

10. 15 October 1990

    Introduced

    Received in the Senate.

    Source: IntroReferral

11. 15 October 1990

    Passed

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

12. 15 October 1990

    Passed

    The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

13. 15 October 1990

    Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules.

    Source: Floor

14. 15 October 1990

    Floor

    Mr. Parris demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.

    Source: Floor

15. 15 October 1990

    Floor

    Mr. Dellums moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

    Source: Floor

16. 15 October 1990

    Passed

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

    Source: Floor

17. 15 October 1990

    Passed

    Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

    Source: Floor

18. 15 October 1990

    Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate.

    Source: Floor

19. 15 October 1990

    Passed

    On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

20. 18 October 1990

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Engrossed in House · undated · Official file
• Introduced in House · undated · Official file
• Referred in Senate · undated · Official file
• Reported in House · undated · Official file

Documents

7 official files

• Reported in House (text)

  Reported in House · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Referred in Senate (text)

  Referred in Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Engrossed in House (text)

  Engrossed in House · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 15 October 1990

  Open at official source

• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 5 October 1990

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 14 March 1990

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Dymally, Mervyn M. [D-CA-31] · D · Sponsor
• Del. Fauntroy, Walter E. [D-DC-At Large] · D · Sponsor
• · ssga00 · Standing
• · hsdt00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → District of Columbia Judicial Reorganization Act of 1989