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Judicial Accountability for Public Safety Act of 2025
To provide for civil liability in the case of any judicial officer who acts with intentional disregard for public safety or gross negligence in a bond determination or sentencing decision.
Summary
The Judicial Accountability for Public Safety Act of 2025 would establish civil liability for judicial officers who act with intentional disregard for public safety or gross negligence in bond determinations or sentencing decisions. A person injured by such judicial action could bring a civil lawsuit and potentially recover punitive damages if clear and convincing evidence shows the injury resulted from such conduct. The bill would apply to federal judges and state and local judges acting in criminal proceedings. Judicial immunity would not apply to claims brought under this act.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14] (R-NC)
4 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Sep 30, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Sep 30, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2025
Mr. Moore of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To provide for civil liability in the case of any judicial officer who acts with intentional disregard for public safety or gross negligence in a bond determination or sentencing decision.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Judicial Accountability for Public Safety Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. CIVIL LIABILITY.
(a) Cause of Action.—Any person who establishes by clear and convincing evidence that such person was injured by any action taken, with intentional disregard for public safety or with gross negligence, by a judicial officer in a bond determination or sentencing hearing may obtain, in a civil action, such relief as the court may determine appropriate, which may include punitive damages.
(b) Rule of Construction.—This Act may not be construed to apply to a judicial act taken in good faith or within the scope of ordinary judicial discretion.
(c) Limitation on Immunity.—Any immunity otherwise applicable to such a judicial officer under Federal or State law may not be asserted in a civil action under this section.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term “judicial officer” means—
(A) any United States district judge, magistrate judge, bankruptcy judge, or other Federal judicial officer; and
(B) any State or local judge or magistrate, acting in a criminal proceeding.
(2) The term “intentional disregard for public safety” means an intentional act or omission that ignores or overrides evidence, statutory mandates, or clear risks to community safety in the exercise of bond or sentencing discretion.
(3) The term “bond determination” includes any judicial order regarding bail, pretrial release, or conditions of release.
(4) The term “sentencing decision” includes any judicial order, issued upon conviction, that imposes—
(A) a term of imprisonment, probation, parole, supervised release, or involuntary commitment;
(B) any conditions on release;
(C) forfeiture; or
(D) any other criminal sanction. <all>
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