Open Records Officer
Elizabeth A. Hoffheins, Esquire
Judicial Conduct Board
601 Commonwealth Avenue
P.O. Box 62525
Harrisburg, PA 17106
E-mail: contactus@jcbpa.org
Open Records Appeals Officer
James P. Kleman, Jr., Esquire
Judicial Conduct Board
601 Commonwealth Avenue
P.O. Box 62525
Harrisburg, PA 17106
E-mail: contactus@jcbpa.org
The Judicial Conduct Board has adopted the following forms from the Office of Open Records:
As an agency within the judicial branch, the Board must strictly comply with the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Judicial Conduct Board Rules pertaining to confidentiality. Article V, Section 18(a)(8) of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides that “complaints filed with the Board” as well as “statements, testimony, documents, records or other information or evidence acquired by the board in the conduct of an investigation shall not be public information” and that “[a]ll proceedings of the board shall be confidential.”
Furthermore, under the Board’s governing rules, “all information and proceedings relating to a complaint and records of the Board’s deliberations shall be kept confidential.” Pa.J.C.B.R.P. No. 17. Limited exceptions to the general rule of confidentiality are set forth in Rule 18. Pa.J.C.B.R. No. 18.
Finally, under the Right to Know Law (RTKL), some records are exempt from public access. Section 67.708(b)(17) provides that a record of an agency is “exempt from access by a requestor” when it relates to a noncriminal investigation, including:
(i) Complaints submitted to an agency;
(ii) Investigative materials, notes, correspondence and reports; and
(iv) A record that includes information made confidential by law.
65 P.S. § 67.708(b)(17)(i), (ii) & (iv).
Decisions of the Open Records Officer may be appealed pursuant to section 1101 of the RTKL (65 P.S. § 67.1101).