TRUST Act

Summary

Requires federal judicial misconduct complaints and investigations to continue and be completed even if the judge who is the subject of the complaint resigns, retires, takes senior status or dies. It directs chief judges and special committee investigators to finish investigations, resolve complaints, and file required reports regardless of a vacancy or the subject judge’s change in status. The change clarifies that resignation, retirement under the judicial retirement rules, or death does not terminate or block processing of complaints under the judicial misconduct statutes and preserves the duty of judicial officials and oversight committees to complete dispositions and reports.

• Mandates that judicial misconduct investigations continue even if the subject judge resigns, retires, takes senior status, or dies.
• Requires chief judges and special investigative committees to finish investigations and file required reports despite a vacancy or the judge’s change in status.
• Applies to existing judicial misconduct procedures under the federal statutes governing complaints against judges.
• Clarifies procedure; it does not create new misconduct standards or add new penalties.
• Preserves accountability and the record of investigations that otherwise might have been halted by a judge’s departure or death.
• Does not authorize new funding or appropriate additional resources; it changes procedural duties only.
• Likely increases administrative workload modestly for judicial oversight bodies that must complete outstanding matters.