http://judgesonmerit.org Making the move to merit selection for all appellate judges in Pennsylvania Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:06:47 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en For many years, money has been a big issue in judicial elections.  Who’s giving campaign money to which candidate is already becoming a topic of interest for this fall’s Alabama Supreme Court election. Campaign finance reports show that political action committees (PACs) driven by pro-business lobbyists account for the vast majority ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/07/03/campaign-money-and-public-perception-in-alabama/ On July 1, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts issues a press release about the newly confirmed interim appointments to four appellate court vacancies. Executive Director Lynn Marks echoed the sentiment reflected in yesterday's post: "We must be clear about this. Despite the fact that this process involved nomination by the governor ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/07/02/pmc-press-release-merit-selection-is-different/ Governor Rendell's second slate of nominees to fill interim vacancies on the appellate courts has been confirmed by the state Senate. Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan will serve on the Supreme Court; McKean County President Judge John Cleland and Northampton County President Judge Robert ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/07/01/finally-some-new-judges/ A June 29th editorial in Jackson, Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger shows how wealthy interests on either side of a single issue - tort reform - have twisted elections for the state's Supreme Court. These elections have become a million-dollar sparring ground, where big bank accounts battle to influence judicial policy, and the ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/07/01/mississippi-judicial-elections-all-about-the-money/ As the Pioneer Press explains in an editorial about interim judicial appointees, Minnesota judges "usually take office via a gubernatorial appointment, but then must win re-election to stay in office. This makes it a unique office, out of the flow of daily partisan politics but subject to being sucked in ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/30/impartiality-of-judges-a-concern-in-minnesota/ Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson is worried about reelection. The vote won't be held until next year, but in the aftermath of the record-setting 2007 and 2008 Wisconsin judicial elections, she's already lining up bipartisan support and trying to raise funds. Neatly summing up the problems ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/27/more-worries-in-wisconsin/ Even one nasty judicial election would have lasting negative consequences, warns Minnesota’s new chief justice, Eric J. Magnuson. Our citizens trust our judicial system but what happens when you have even one big, nasty, highly-politicized judicial election concerns me greatly,'' he said. ''Perceptions of fairness, equity and access I think will ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/26/minnesotas-new-chief-justice-warns-of-nasty-elections/ With a vacancy on Missouri's Supreme Court, there is renewed criticism of the Missouri Plan, and talk in some circles about trying to get rid of the Plan and institute judicial elections. Check out Blue Girl's post on Show Me Progress, which defends Missouri's Merit Selection system. Highlighting the benefits of ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/25/voices-of-merit-proud-of-the-missouri-plan/ Minnesota is bracing itself for increasingly negative and expensive judicial elections. Tapped by the State Bar Association to be the Chairman of the Judicial Election Campaign Conduct Committee, attorney David Stowman will try to prevent the elections from turning ugly and partisan. Stowman points out that judicial ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/24/minnesota-worried-that-judicial-elections-will-be-getting-worse/ A group called Johnson Countians for Justice is fighting to keep its Merit Selection system for selecting local judges. This fall, a ballot initiative will propose eliminating the Merit Selection system and replacing it with partisan elections. Johnson Countians for Justice recently held a press conference to highlight the ... http://judgesonmerit.org/2008/06/24/fighting-for-merit-in-kansas/