SCR CHAPTER 33

CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR MUNICIPAL JUDGES

SCR 33.01 Definitions.

In this chapter:

(1) "Committee" means municipal judge education committee.

(2) "Municipal judge" means a judge elected under section 8.50 or 755.01 of the statutes or appointed under section 800.065 of the statutes.

(3) "Newly elected municipal judge" means any municipal judge who has not served 12 full months in office.

(4) "Municipal court clerk" means a court clerk appointed by a municipal judge pursuant to section 755.10 of the statutes.

SCR 33.02 Credit.

Credit shall be awarded on the basis of one credit for each half‑day attendance at a required municipal judge orientation institute, a review institute or a graduate institute and, in the committee's discretion, at other programs sponsored or approved by the committee.

SCR 33.03 Municipal judge education committee.

The director of judicial education shall establish a municipal judge education committee, which shall advise the judicial education office in the development of educational programs for municipal judges and municipal court personnel and assist in the enforcement of the mandatory education rule under SCR 33.04. The committee shall include at least 2 nonattorney and 2 attorney municipal judges, who shall serve terms of 2 years and may be reappointed to successive terms. The director of judicial education or his or her designee shall chair the committee and participate as a voting member.

SCR 33.04 Mandatory education.

(1) Each newly‑elected municipal judge shall attend the earliest municipal judge orientation institute offered following his or her election, unless a period of extension is granted by the committee upon prior application by the municipal judge.

(2) Each municipal judge shall earn at least 4 credits in each 365-day period after commencement of the term for which elected or appointed at a municipal judge orientation institute, review institute or graduate institute developed by the judicial education office. A municipal judge who holds office for less than 5 months during any calendar year is exempt from this subsection.

(3)  Each municipal judge shall designate and require a minimum of one municipal court clerk to attend the annual municipal court clerk's training seminar, developed by the judicial education office, at least once every 2 years.

SCR 33.05 Credit for teaching.

Municipal judges who serve as faculty members at judicial education programs may be awarded credit in accordance with policies determined by the committee.

SCR 33.06 Noncompliance.

(1) If a judge fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter, the director of judicial education shall send the judge a notice of noncompliance by registered or certified mail. The notice shall specify the nature of noncompliance. Copies of the notice shall be sent to the director of state courts and the chief judge of the judicial administrative district in which the municipal judge holds office. The notice shall inform the judge that an extension is being granted for compliance. The director of judicial education may set the period of extension at up to 4 months. For good cause shown, the committee may extend further the period for compliance.

(2) If the judge has not complied with this chapter after the period of extension has passed, the director of judicial education shall refer the matter to the committee for a hearing and send the judge a notice of the hearing by registered or certified mail.

(3) If the committee finds the judge has not complied with this chapter, it shall refer the matter to the supreme court for such action as the court deems appropriate. Notice of such referral shall be sent to the director of state courts and the chief judge of the municipal judge's judicial administrative district.

Adopted by the supreme court on January 21, 1985, effective July 1, 1985; November 1, 1991; October 30, 1998; April 27, 2011; July 1, 2011.