NOTICE REGARDING COMPLAINTS OF
JUDICIAL MISCONDUCT OR DISABILITY
To improve the administration of justice in the federal courts, Congress passed the
Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980, codified at 28 U.S.C.§ 372(c). The law
authorizes complaints against United States circuit, district, bankruptcy and
magistrate judges who have "engaged in conduct prejudicial to the effective and
expeditious administration of the business of the courts" or who are "unable to
discharge all the duties of office by reason of mental or physical disability." The
conduct to which the law is addressed does not include making wrong judicial
decisions, for the law provides that a complaint may be dismissed if it is "directly
related to the merits of a decision or procedural ruling."
The Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit has adopted Rules Governing Complaints
of Judicial Misconduct or Disability. These rules apply to judges of the U. S. Court
of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and to the district, bankruptcy and magistrate judges
of federal courts within the Fifth Circuit. The circuit includes the states of Texas,
Louisiana and Mississippi.
These rules may be obtained from the Fifth Circuit Internet website, as follows:
http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/documents/comprule.htm
Written complaints must be filed with the Clerk, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, 600
Camp Street, Room 102, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130.