Georgia residents soon will get a peek behind the curtain of one of the most secretive agencies in the state.
The Study Committee on Judicial Qualifications Commission Reform will hold its first hearing of the fall at 11 a.m. Thursday in Atlanta. The committee, which will meet for several weeks, is supposed to look into how Georgia judges get investigated.
Its chairman, state Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, believes the JQC needs to divide its responsibilities among more people. He also thinks the agency is too secretive.
JQC meetings are closed to the public. Members of the JQC also legally can’t say if a judge is under investigation. In most cases, they can’t even say what they uncovered once an investigation is closed – or whether a judge was disciplined.
“Information needs to be known,” Willard said. “It’s been sort of a closed commission for many years.”