The Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC) is the state agency responsible for investigating complaints alleging that a state court judge has engaged in judicial misconduct or has a disability preventing him or her from properly performing judicial duties.
The CJC is also responsible for pursuing, when it is appropriate, remedial action or discipline against state court judges.
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Who we serve
Anyone may file a complaint with the CJC: a party involved in a case, a family member of a party involved in a case, a lawyer, or just an interested citizen.
Role of the CJC
- Preserve both judicial independence and public accountability
- Provide a fair and reasonable process to address judicial misconduct and disability
- Maintain the public's confidence in the integrity of the judicial system
All fifty states and the District of Columbia have judicial conduct agencies to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct and disability that prevent judges from properly performing their judicial duties.
Limits of the CJC
- Cannot not serve as an appellate court to review judges' rulings
- Cannot reverse a judge's decision
- Cannot vacate a judge's decision
- Does not have the authority to order a judge to step down from hearing a case
- Does not have the authority to provide a different judge or require a judge to recuse him/herself