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By Bruce Alpert
A legal watchdog group has rated Louisiana 47th among the 50 states in terms of how states hold judges accountable.
"Louisiana's system of judicial oversight is one of the most secretive in the country," said Suzanne Blonder, senior counsel at Help Abolish Legal Tyranny. "In an era that embraces principles of sunshine and transparency, it's shameful that the state's system for monitoring our most powerful governmental officials is designed to shut out the public."
The group says that Louisiana courts don't release information about ethics complaints against judges until the state Judiciary Commission files a recommendation for discipline with the state's Supreme Court. Court spokeswoman Valerie Willard said the court system wants to ensure that due process is followed and that a judge isn't tarred by false charges, but declined comment on the low grade assigned by the group.
The court is now drawing up financial disclosure rules for judges under an agreement it reached after the state Legislature decided not to include the courts in the new ethics rules adopted in a special session called this year by Gov. Bobby Jindal.
© 2008 Times-Picayune
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