Texas. State Commission on Judicial Conduct

The Texas Judicial Qualifications Commission was created by Constitutional amendment in 1965 (Texas Constitution, Article V, Section 1-a). Following the example of California, Texas was only the second state in the United States to create such an essentially investigatory body; now every state of the Union has a judicial disciplinary agency. The original commission was composed of nine members: two appeals judges and two district judges (named by the Texas Supreme Court), two members of the State Bar (named by the State Bar), and three citizen members (named by the Governor). In 1977, the name was changed to the Commission on Judicial Conduct, which was now enlarged to 11 members: five judges (one appellate judge, one district judge, one county court-at-law judge, one justice of the peace, and one municipal court judge), all named by the Supreme Court; two lawyers (who must each have ten consecutive years of practice in Texas) named by the State Bar; and four public members (who must be at least 30 years old and not licensed to practice law) named by the Governor. Each appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the State Senate. Members serve 6-year terms. The members elect their own chair.

Jurisdiction of the original Commission included Supreme Court justices, state appellate judges, and district judges. In 1970, the jurisdiction of the commission was broadened to include all judicial officers of the state: justices of the Supreme Court, appellate judges, district judges, county judges, justices of the peace, municipal judges, judges of courts of domestic relations, juvenile court judges, probate judges, masters, magistrates, and retired or former judges assigned as visiting judges (a number totaling 3,000 in 1993).

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