judgesonmerit.org

This pro merit selection editorial from last Friday’s Herald-Standard was brought to our attention by Representative Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon. The paper endorses proposed legislation that would change the way Pennsylvanians select appellate judges from judicial elections to a merit selection process. Smith is sponsoring a bill in the House and there is similar legislation proposed by Senator Jane Earll, R-Erie, pending in the Senate.

The editorial details two of the (many) major problems with electing judges.

One, there is very little meaningful information available about the judicial candidates.

In fact, with so little to base their decision on, many voters just pick the candidate for judge who comes from their region of the state. The story is always the same with statewide judge races: barely anyone from the Philadelphia area will vote for a Pittsburgh area judge and vice versa. Too often, the only thing voters know about statewide candidates for judge is where they are from. In those cases, geography rules. Frankly, that’s not a smart way to select judges, who can have such a profound impact on our lives.

Two, in order to win, judicial candidates are forced to act like politicians, endlessly raising money and wooing potential campaign contributors. In the eyes of the public, the campaigns of judges and other elected officials become indistinguishable.

However, unlike other races, judges are supposed to be impartial arbiters of justice. To continue with a system that forces them into the political muck is irresponsible at best. It doesn’t take much imagination to foresee judges who are beholden to the political leaders and power brokers who helped them win elections.

Pennsylvania deserves better. The Governor has publicly expressed his support of merit selection for the appellate bench. Now is the time for the state legislature to move on this crucial reform issue. Says the Herald-Standard, “There’s plenty of room on left on this bandwagon.”

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