judgesonmerit.org

Sworn in this past Tuesday, Tennessee’s new – and first woman – chief justice, Janice M. Holder vocalized her support of the Merit Selection system known as the “Tennessee Plan.” In fact, the entire Supreme Court wants to keep Tennessee’s current system. As Holder explains:

This court is not in favor of partisan election in which judges are obligated to raise millions of dollars for campaigns. This court is in favor of the current principles that comprise the Tennessee Plan.

Tennessee’s Supreme Court judges know that Merit Selection works in their state and how vital it is to keep the current system. That system, as we’ve written, is scheduled to sunset next year — on July 1, 2009 — if it isn’t renewed or modified. We hope that Tennessee maintains its Merit Selection system, and believe that Merit Selection will provide the best way for Pennsylvania to select its appellate judges, too.