judgesonmerit.org

An editorial in the Roanoke Times calls on Virigina to move away from its system of having the legislature appoint judges and find a better way to pick judges. The preferred method is Merit Selection. Why? “Electing judges, even in nonpartisan elections, is problematic because it forces judges to engage in fundraising and campaigning, either of which can raise questions about a judge’s impartiality.”

Well put. And as the editorial recognizes, “setting up an effective system for merit appointment, free of political influence, is not exactly an easy task.” We’re working on it for the appellate courts of Pennsylvania, because the public deserves the most qualified, fair and impartial judges — and those who are perceived by all to be so. And the best way to get them is to keep them out of the fundraising business.

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