Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-110

§360 Disclosure of Information

Title 28 › PART I — ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › CHAPTER 16 — COMPLAINTS AGAINST JUDGES AND JUDICIAL DISCIPLINE › § 360

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Investigation papers must be kept secret. They can only be shared in three cases: if the circuit’s judicial council decides to give a special committee report to the person who complained and to the judge complained about; if the judicial council, the Judicial Conference, or either the House or Senate releases material for an impeachment inquiry or trial under Article I of the Constitution; or if the judge involved and either the circuit chief judge, the Chief Justice, or the chair of the standing committee under section 331 give written permission. Any written order that carries out an action under section 354(a)(1)(C) and is issued by a judicial council, the Judicial Conference, or the standing committee must be available to the public through the court of appeals clerk. Unless that would harm the interests of justice, each such order must include written reasons.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §360

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Confidentiality of Proceedings.—

Except as provided in section 355, all papers, documents, and records of proceedings related to investigations conducted under this chapter shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed by any person in any proceeding except to the extent that—

(1)the judicial council of the circuit in its discretion releases a copy of a report of a special committee under section 353(c) to the complainant whose complaint initiated the investigation by that special committee and to the judge whose conduct is the subject of the complaint;

(2)the judicial council of the circuit, the Judicial Conference of the United States, or the Senate or the House of Representatives by resolution, releases any such material which is believed necessary to an impeachment investigation or trial of a judge under article I of the Constitution; or

(3)such disclosure is authorized in writing by the judge who is the subject of the complaint and by the chief judge of the circuit, the Chief Justice, or the chairman of the standing committee established under section 331.

(b)Public Availability of Written Orders.—

Each written order to implement any action under section 354(a)(1)(C), which is issued by a judicial council, the Judicial Conference, or the standing committee established under section 331, shall be made available to the public through the appropriate clerk’s office of the court of appeals for the circuit. Unless contrary to the interests of justice, each such order shall be accompanied by written reasons therefor.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 360

Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110