NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana's Supreme Court is easing some secrecy rules regarding disciplinary proceedings against state judges.
The court Friday announced rule changes that will allow those who file complaints against judges, judges who are the subject of complaints and witnesses in the cases to publicly discuss the proceedings once a hearing is set or the case is closed following an investigation. The release says the rule change was approved unanimously by the seven-member court after extensive study.
The move follows a series of reports on the secrecy rules by The Advocate . The stories noted one Supreme Court Justice was the subject of investigations that never came to light until the newspaper began reporting on details. The investigations involved cases Justice Jefferson Hughes III presided over as a district judge.
