How can I make a complaint against a judge?

How do I file a complaint against a judge?

The complaint process is not intended to address complaints related to the merits of a case or a court’s decision. Any person alleging that a judge of the country has engaged in conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts, or that such officer cannot discharge all the duties of the office because of physical or mental disability, may file a complaint with the clerk of the court of appeals for that circuit or applicable national court. The statute governing this complaint mechanism is set out at Title 28, U.S. Code, Section 351(a). For more information, review the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules for Judicial-Conduct and Judicial-Disability Proceedings.

If you have a complaint about the behavior of a federal judge, unrelated to the judge’s decision in a specific case, refer to the rules set forth by the 10th Circuit Court Governing Complaints of Judicial Misconduct and Disability. You may also obtain a copy from the clerk’s office. These rules provide guidance on the nature of complaints, individuals who may be the subject of a complaint, the appropriate complaint filing procedure, and the complaint handling process.
The majority of judicial complaints are dismissed due to non-compliance with the applicable laws pertaining to such complaints. The law mandates the dismissal of complaints regarding judges, decisions, and complaints lacking supporting evidence. If you are a party involved in a case and disagree with the judge’s decision?regardless of its severity?you are not permitted to utilize this procedure to voice your complaint about the decision. Instead, the proper course of action to address a judicial opinion is to appeal said decision to the Court of Appeals at the conclusion of your case.