SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – The California Commission on Judicial Performance is challenging the scope of an audit of its operations ordered earlier this year by the Legislature, saying the state Constitution prohibits the review of its core functions and confidential records.
“If you imagine for a moment an auditor asking a court ‘We want to know how you resolve cases,’ you can see where there’s a concern,” commission attorney James Wagstaffe said in an interview.
Invoking the separation of powers doctrine that prohibits the Legislature from interfering with the judiciary, the petition asks that the state auditor refrain from examining how the commission investigates complaints against judges and decides cases. [Read Full Article]
