New protections for judges, other civil law changes head to House Floor

A judiciary policy bill receiving committee approval Thursday would have a very wide reach, ranging from making court-appointed guardians personally liable for acts or omissions made in the discharge of their duties to providing enhanced protections for judges and their families.

A major provision would give judges, their family members, and certain judicial branch employees “anti-doxing” protections by classifying phone numbers, home addresses, and other personal information of judicial officials as private data.

Publicly identifying or publishing that private information with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, or physically injure them would be a misdemeanor. The charge would be upgraded to a felony if the published information results in bodily harm.

[MORE: Read about anti-doxing bill in Session Daily]

Sponsored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville), HF3872, as amended, was approved by the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee Thursday on a split-voice vote and sent to the House Floor.

Other notable provisions

The committee policy bill would also, in part:

• make terms related to antenuptial contracts (also called prenuptial contracts) gender neutral;
• amend the definition of “court examiner” in laws on civil commitment to include psychologists who are either licensed in Minnesota or hold authority to practice in Minnesota under an approved interstate compact;
• remove the requirement that important judicial notices be published in newspapers;
• require employers to release an employee from their regular work schedule to report for prospective jury service; and
• make a court-appointed guardian personally liable for acts or omissions made in the discharge of the guardian’s duties performed in a wanton, reckless, or intentional manner, or when knowingly violating the law.

What’s in the bill?

The following bills have been incorporated in part or in whole into the judiciary and civil law policy bill:

• HF3483 (Feist)
• HF3506 (Stephenson)
• HF3607 (Finke)
• HF3830 (Hollins)
• HF3872 (Becker-Finn)
• HF4276 (Curran)
• HF4326 (Curran)