Judges and Judiciary,
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Jan. 31, 2023
Cost of insuring California judges for misconduct cases rises
Including taxes and fees, the Judicial Performance Defense Insurance program cost about $970,000 during the 2017-18 fiscal year. It rose to $1.3 million in 2020-21 and $1.5 million in 2021-22. According to documents provided by the Judicial Council, the policy costs $1.8 million in the current 2022-23 fiscal year and will rise to an estimated $2.1 million in the coming 2023-24 fiscal year.
The price of defending California’s judges in misconduct cases continues to rise but it’s not entirely clear why.
The Judicial Council provides up to $2 million in annual legal fees to judges to defend themselves in discipline cases brought by the Commission on Judicial Performance. Based on a combination of insurance policies and budget documents, the cost of insurance policies to provide this coverage has more than doubled in six years.<...
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