Relating to state and district judicial nominating commissions and county magistrate appointing commissions

This bill relates to state and district judicial nominating commissions and county magistrate appointing commissions. The bill provides that the governor shall appoint all the commissioners to state and district commissions. For the state commission, of the commissioners, the governor shall appoint at least four commissioners from each congressional district and one commissioner from the state at large. The terms for nine of the commissioners shall begin and end in even-numbered years, and eight shall begin and end in odd-numbered years. Under current law, the governor appoints nine persons to the state commission and resident members of the bar of each congressional district elect two persons of different genders to the commission. Under current law, the members of the bar of each judicial election district elect five commissioners to that district’s commission and the governor appoints another five commissioners. The most senior judge in the district serves as chairperson. The bill decreases the number of commissioners on a district commission from to seven, including by removing the most senior judge in the district from the commission. The bill requires that at least one member of the district commission be a licensed attorney in this state. The bill removes the gender balance requirement for state and district commissions. Under current law, a county magistrate appointing commission is comprised of up to six members: a district judge designated by the chief judge of the judicial district, up to three members appointed by the board of supervisors, and up to two attorneys elected by attorneys in the county. The bill reduces the number of members on a county commission to three members appointed by the board of supervisors. The bill makes conforming changes to Code chapter 602 (judicial branch).11111 (judicial nominating commissions for election districts 5A and 5C).