House Committee on Judiciary (01/15/2015)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Date:	01/15/2015	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:31 PM to 02:32 PM	Buckner	X
		Carver	X
Place:	HCR 0107	Court	*
		Dore	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Foote	X
	Representative Kagan	Lawrence	X
		Lundeen	X
This Report was prepared by		Pettersen	X
	Bo Pogue	Salazar	X
		Van Winkle	X
		Willett	X
		Lee	*
		Kagan	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
-Introductory Briefing by Legislative Staff HB15-1034		Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Referred to Appropriations

01:32 PM -- Introductory Briefing by Legislative Staff

The committee was called to order. A quorum was present. Representative Kagan, chair, provided opening remarks about the committee's procedures. Ms. Kerry White, Legislative Council Staff, introduced herself and her colleagues, and discussed the role of fiscal note staff in the committee and legislative processes. She discussed some specific judiciary-related products available to the committee. Mr. Michael Dohr, Office of Legislative Legal Services, introduced himself and his colleagues, and discussed the role of his office in committee proceedings, and the services provided by the office to the members.

01:41 PM -- HB15-1034

Representative Vigil, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1034, concerning an increase in the number of district court judges in the Twelfth Judicial District. Representative Vigil explained the effect of the bill. Discussion ensued regarding the fiscal impact of the bill. The following persons testified regarding House Bill 15-1034:

01:44 PM -- Judge Pattie Swift and Chief Justice Nancy Rice, representing the Judicial Branch, testified in support of the bill. Chief Justice Rice expressed her support for the legislation. Judge Swift discussed the parameters of the Twelfth Judicial District, and the caseload in the district. She also discussed the need for additional judges as a result of the district's caseload, and the circumstances that judges in the district must accommodate due to the district's demographics and other factors. Judge Swift discussed other burdens faced by the judiciary in the Twelfth Judicial District, such as the need for specialized courts and the length of time needed to work through the case docket.

01:54 PM

Judge Swift discussed the benefits of appointing an additional judge to the Twelfth Judicial District. Judge Swift responded to questions regarding the last time a judge was appointed to the court, and the propriety of appointing an additional judge to the district rather than rely upon magistrates to help offset workload. Discussion ensued regarding the staffing models considered by the Judicial Branch in deciding to increase the number of judges in a particular district. Chief Justice Rice provided input on this issue.

02:04 PM

Judge Swift responded to questions regarding the potential effect of adding a judge in the Twelfth Judicial District on the ability of the district to process its caseload in an expeditious manner, and the opinion of district attorneys on adding a judge. Judge Swift responded to further questions regarding a performance comparison between the Twelfth Judicial District and other districts, and the impact of the district's workload on its measured performance. Judge Swift responded to questions regarding the basis upon which judges and magistrates are compensated. Chief Justice Rice responded to questions regarding the Judicial Department's priority for funding a new judge in the Twelfth Judicial District among its budget needs, and the department's long-term planning process for requesting additional judges for judicial districts.

02:18 PM

Mr. Alex Schatz, Legislative Council Staff, made himself available to respond to questions from the committee about the fiscal impact of House Bill 15-1034. Discussion ensued regarding potential changes to the fiscal note for the bill based on workload projections for the Twelfth Judicial District. Mr. Schatz discussed the analysis and assumptions upon which he relied in writing the fiscal note. Mr. Schatz responded to questions regarding the impact of the increase in criminal cases on the needs of the judiciary in a particular judicial district, and the potential for Legislative Council Staff to project out costs associated with a particular piece of legislation for several years.

02:25 PM

No amendments were offered to House Bill 15-1034. Representative Vigil provided closing remarks in support of the bill. Committee members discussed their positions on the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1034
TIME:	02:26:47 PM
MOVED:	Court
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1034 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Pettersen
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Carver	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Lawrence	Yes
	Lundeen	Yes
	Pettersen	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Van Winkle	Yes
	Willett	Yes
	Lee	Yes
	Kagan	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:32 PM

The committee adjourned.