The Commission on Judicial Performance and the state auditor formally ended their litigation over confidential disciplinary files Tuesday, when an appellate court approved a request to give the auditor access to the records.
The First District Court of Appeal reversed a December 2017 order by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos that blocked the auditor, Elaine Howle, from starting a legislatively mandated review of the commission’s disciplinary practices. The appellate court’s order was issued one day after Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation clarifying that Howle’s office cannot make public any records it obtains during the audit.
