1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the judiciary; allowing the board on 
  1.3             judicial standards to pay costs and attorney's fees in 
  1.4             certain cases; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [BOARD ON JUDICIAL STANDARDS; AWARD OF COSTS 
  1.7   AND ATTORNEY'S FEES.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [AWARD.] The board on judicial standards 
  1.9   may award reasonable costs and attorney's fees to a judge if: 
  1.10     (1) a formal hearing under the Minnesota Rules of the Board 
  1.11  on Judicial Standards, rule 10, was held on the charges against 
  1.12  the judge; 
  1.13     (2) the findings and recommendations of the panel concluded 
  1.14  that the judge did not use the judicial office to advance a 
  1.15  personal or private goal and that the judge was acting on 
  1.16  matters of concern to the judge in the judge's official 
  1.17  capacity; 
  1.18     (3) the findings and recommendations of the panel concluded 
  1.19  that the case served a public purpose by increasing public 
  1.20  awareness of the judicial system and the problems with which it 
  1.21  is faced; and 
  1.22     (4) the board dismissed the charges and found that the 
  1.23  judge did not violate the rules of judicial conduct, judicial 
  1.24  standards, or professional conduct. 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [APPLICATION.] A judge against whom charges have 
  2.1   previously been dismissed may apply to the board on judicial 
  2.2   standards for an award of costs and attorney's fees under 
  2.3   subdivision 1. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.5      $....... is appropriated to the supreme court for the board 
  2.6   on judicial standards to award costs and attorney's fees under 
  2.7   section 1 to be available for the biennium ending June 30, 1999.