4.030 Powers of commission

The Judicial Conduct Commission has real power to investigate complaints against judges. It can put people under oath and take their sworn testimony. It can also force witnesses to show up and force people to hand over documents or other evidence that might matter to a case.

In some situations, the commission can go even further. If it has a good reason, it can order a judge to get a physical or mental health exam. This lets the commission look into concerns about whether a judge is fit to keep doing the job.

This rule basically gives the commission the tools it needs to dig into complaints seriously. Without these powers, the commission would have a hard time getting the facts it needs to decide whether a judge did something wrong.