Norton Thanks Senate Committee for Passing Bill to Increase Financial Disclosure Requirements for D.C. Court Judges
Press Release
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) thanked Senator James Lankford (R-OK) after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed his bill (S. 2966) to enhance financial disclosure requirements for District of Columbia local court judges and to make other improvements to the D.C. courts. Norton said she was also grateful to Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI), Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who are original cosponsors of the bill. The bill, which matches the transparency provisions in a bill Norton introduced earlier this year, makes the financial requirements for D.C. court judges similar to the disclosure requirements already set for federal judges. In 2014, the D.C. courts were given a failing grade by a Center for Public Integrity survey for the courts' judicial financial disclosure rules. Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, Congress has the exclusive authority to regulate the D.C. courts.
"I am grateful to Senators Lankford, Johnson, Carper, and Booker for their bipartisan work on this important bill to bring transparency and other operational improvements to the D.C. courts," Norton said. "As I am sure our judges here could agree, the public must always have the most complete and appropriate information on finances and similar matters of judges entrusted with criminal and civil justice matters. We will work with our Senate allies to move this bill toward final passage on the Senate floor."
The bill includes four provisions to improve the operations of the D.C. courts: authorizes the use of magistrate judges to serve in the Probate Division; grants the D.C. courts authority to accept credits cards, other forms of electronic funds transfer, and checks; increases the jurisdictional amount of the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of the D.C. Superior Court from $5,000 to $10,000; and allows chief judges of the Superior Court and the Court of Appeals to delegate authority to approve certain vouchers.
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