District of Columbia Judicial Efficiency and Improvement Act of 1986

Summary

District of Columbia Prosecutorial and Judicial Efficiency Act of 1985 - Requires an annual report by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia on District prosecutions. Amends the District of Columbia Code (the Code) to make the authority of the hearing commissioners of the Superior Court permanent. Includes as functions of commissioners, the establishment, enforcement, and modification of child support. Directs commissioners, after finding a duty of support and giving notice of that duty, to conduct a hearing, make findings, and enter a judgment (which constitutes a final order of the Superior court). Authorizes the rehearing or review of such findings by a judge of the Family Division sua sponte and the commissioner's referral of complex issues to the judge. Directs the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration to consider a candidate's experience and special training in administrative and executive positions and familiarity with court procedures in appointing and Executive Officer of the District of Columbia courts. Requires the Executive Officer to become a resident of the District. Amends the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (the D.C. Reorganization Act) to extend the mandatory retirement age of judges of District of Columbia courts to age 74 (currently age 70). Amends the Code to remove the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from the appointment panel for the Board of Trustees of the Public Defender Service. Makes the Chief Judge of the District Court of appeals the presiding officer of the panel. Amends the Code to authorize the Register of Wills rather than the Auditor-Master of the Superior Court, to audit and state fiduciary accounts. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make such Act inapplicable to any judicial officer or employee of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Amends the Code to authorize the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to answer questions of law certified to it by the U.S. Supreme Court, a U.S. Court of Appeals, or the highest appellate court of any State if such questions of law meet specified criteria. Sets forth the procedures for the certification of questions of law. Authorizes the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to certify such questions of law to the highest court of any State. Amends the D.C. Reorganization Act to make information, records, and other materials furnished to or developed by the Judicial Nomination Commission (Commission) in the performance of its duties privileged and confidential. Allows the meetings of the Commission to be closed to the public. Requires that the name of any individual recommended by the Commission be made public upon its submission to the President. Amends the Code to authorize the Judicial Disabilities and Tenure Commission (Tenure Commission) to disclose, upon request, and on a confidential basis, otherwise privileged information to the Judicial Nomination Commission concerning any judge being considered for elevation to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals or for chief judge of a District of Columbia Court. Amends the D.C. Reorganization Act to require judges of District of Columbia Courts to file, with the Tenure Commission, their declaration of candidacy for reappointment at least six months (currently three months) before the expiration of their term. Requires the Tenure Commission to submit a written evaluation of the candidates performance and fitness to the President at least 60 days (currently 30 days) before the expiration of the judge's term. Clarifies the nature of the Tenure Commission's findings necessary for a candidate's automatic reappointment. Amends the Code to allow judges to request, at any time prior to or after retirement (currently a judge has 180 days after retirement to make such a request), the recommendation of the Tenure Commission for appointment as a senior judge. Amends the D.C. Reorganization ACt to require the Judicial Nomination Commission to submit a list of candidates to the President for any vacancy on a D.C. court within 60 days (currently 30 days) of the occurrence of such vacancy.

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Documents

6 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 29 October 1986

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• Passed Senate amended

  summary · EN · 3 October 1986

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 23 September 1986

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• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 28 October 1985

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• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 23 October 1985

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 17 October 1985

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