Comments on: Merit Selection Goes To Harrisburg http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/03/18/merit-selection-goes-to-harrisburg/ Making the move to merit selection for all appellate judges in Pennsylvania Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:57:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: AJS http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/03/18/merit-selection-goes-to-harrisburg/#comment-5 AJS Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:27:19 +0000 http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/03/18/merit-selection-goes-to-harrisburg/#comment-5 The American Judicature Society (AJS) has supported commission-based appointment systems for selecting judges for more than 80 years, and AJS applauds the proposed legislation that would create a commission to screen judicial candidates and recommend potential nominees to the governor. The nominating process is “the key to judicial merit selection,” and the nominating process described in this proposal possesses the key characteristics identified in AJS’ model judicial selection plan: • The commission is composed of both lawyers and non-lawyers. • Commission members are selected by multiple actors or entities. • There is partisan balance among commission members. • Commission members serve set terms of at least four years. • The commission is encouraged to nominate individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of Pennsylvania. • The governor is required to nominate an individual from the commission’s list. • Appointees are subject to periodic retention elections. The American Judicature Society (AJS) has supported commission-based appointment systems for selecting judges for more than 80 years, and AJS applauds the proposed legislation that would create a commission to screen judicial candidates and recommend potential nominees to the governor.

The nominating process is “the key to judicial merit selection,” and the nominating process described in this proposal possesses the key characteristics identified in AJS’ model judicial selection plan:

• The commission is composed of both lawyers and non-lawyers.
• Commission members are selected by multiple actors or entities.
• There is partisan balance among commission members.
• Commission members serve set terms of at least four years.
• The commission is encouraged to nominate individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of Pennsylvania.
• The governor is required to nominate an individual from the commission’s list.
• Appointees are subject to periodic retention elections.

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