Beset by too many cases and too little money, Illinois officials are struggling with their constitutional responsibility to investigate and punish errant judges.

It commonly takes years to act against judges who violate the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, and the punishment seldom is more than a public reprimand.

An investigation by Injustice Watch, a new organization devoted to exposing systemic problems that impede justice and equality, identifies widespread problems:

• The Judicial Inquiry Board, the agency that investigates judicial misconduct, has seen its budget shrink in recent years even as the number of complaints has grown.

• The backlog of cases has grown, and state officials warn that budget cuts hobble the agency’s ability…