Bill Overview
Title: 21st Century Courts Act of 2022
Description: This bill provides for the establishment of a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, judges of the courts of appeals, judges of the district courts, and judges of the Court of International Trade. The bill also requires court proceedings to be recorded and published on the internet.
Sponsors: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4]
Target Audience
Population: People involved or interested in US court proceedings
Estimated Size: 8000000
- Judges across various levels in the United States will be directly impacted as it involves a code of conduct that they must adhere to.
- The bill affects the general American public who might benefit from increased transparency and accessibility of court proceedings.
- Legal professionals who engage in court proceedings as they have to acquaint themselves with the newly available recordings for their cases.
Reasoning
- The policy targets transparency within the judiciary and therefore might directly affect court officials and legal professionals who interact with the courts frequently.
- A considerable portion of the general public might not be directly involved in cases but could potentially benefit from increased access to public court proceedings which might enhance perceptions of justice and knowledge.
- Given the cost of implementing technology for recording and hosting proceedings, the direct beneficiaries within the legal professions must outweigh these operational costs to justify budget allocation.
- Impact on wellbeing is subjective and may vary largely depending on the individual's role (e.g., judge vs. public observer) in the judicial process.
Simulated Interviews
Judge (New York, NY)
Age: 54 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am in favor of the code of conduct as it can enhance accountability among judges.
- Concerned about potential privacy issues with case recordings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Civil Rights Lawyer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The recordings could help highlight injustices in the system and encourage reforms.
- Could improve my case preparations with access to detailed court hearing recordings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 4 |
Paralegal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will demand more work but improve the quality of legal assistance I can provide.
- Worried about complexities in managing access and reviewing loads of data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Journalist (Miami, FL)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accessing court recordings could provide rich information for investigative reporting.
- Concerned about potential misuse of sensitive case data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Law Student (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 24 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as an extraordinary educational tool, real-world examples are invaluable.
- Recordings could demystify the judicial process for many aspiring lawyers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 6 |
Retired School Teacher (Dallas, TX)
Age: 63 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Following court proceedings will be more engaging now and can enrich my understanding of law and government.
- I wonder if this could make people more litigious or polarized.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The tech aspect is exciting; the evolution toward making such proceedings available online aligns with digital trends.
- Could lead to new startup opportunities addressing challenges in data processing and accessibility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Court Clerk (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Changes to digital archiving and more transparency are parts of evolution.
- Apprehensive about the increased workload and procedures this might entail in daily duties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Real Estate Agent (Houston, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Could be an interesting change, the ability to view important cases could make these more like real-life documentaries.
- Might not make much difference to everyday life, though.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Social Policy Analyst (Las Vegas, NV)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Greater accessibility of court information can drive more informed civic participation.
- The policy is a step toward more open governance but the success depends on execution.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $18000000 (Low: $14000000, High: $22000000)
Year 3: $17000000 (Low: $13000000, High: $21000000)
Year 5: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 10: $13000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $16000000)
Year 100: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Key Considerations
- The scalability of the technology infrastructure to handle a vast number of recordings and public access must be ensured.
- Ensuring judicial integrity and the unbiased application of the new code of conduct will be crucial.
- Public interest in accessing and interpreting court recordings might influence policy adjustments.