The Judge Conduct Committee exists to decide when a judge’s conduct is a problem and how that misconduct should be resolved from the Judge Program’s perspective. It is comprised of Level 3 and higher judges, selected by the Level 4 and Level 5 judges in a periodic application and selection process, which is open as of this writing.
If you’re a Level 3 or higher judge, you can apply here. Applications close December 16. Committee members will be announced in late December.
The Committee will begin its work as of January 1, 2015.
Committee members gather information and make a recommendation on how they believe the case should be resolved. In these recommendations, the Committee members consider whether the judge accused is responsible for the alleged misconduct, the specific circumstances of the case, including the degree of connection to Magic, and other factors in its deliberations. The Regional Coordinators Advisory Committee and the Judge Program Manager are advised of these decisions before they take effect.
The Committee uses a document which details recommended resolutions for a range of possible misconduct circumstances. However, in order to prevent any person from attempting to game the system, this document is kept private.
The Committee is formed by an application and selection process initiated by the Misconduct Sphere Leader (currently Sean Catanese). The goal of this process is to ensure the Committee is appropriately representative of the Judge Program’s global span, as well as its best-skilled investigators and adjudicators. All Level 3 and higher judges are welcome to apply for a seat on the committee. The standing members of the Committee are selected by the Level 4 and Level 5 judges.
For each case brought before the Committee, the Regional Coordinator(s) of the judges involved are made temporary, voting members of the Committee for that case alone. Additional non-voting observers may be added at the discretion of the Chair in order to ensure the Committee makes its decisions with the best possible information and methods.