judgesonmerit.org

Editorials in the Montgomery Advertiser and the Tuscaloosa News, echoing the call of a current Supreme Court candidate, urge the state to reject judicial elections in favor of Merit Selection.

The Montgomery Advertiser points out the escalating costs of judicial elections and the problems inherent in requiring future judges to raise campaign funds from lawyers and organizations likely to appear before them in the future:

Over the years, the Montgomery Advertiser’s editorial board has asked dozens of judicial candidates if they are affected by these large campaign donations. Almost invariably, each candidate says that he or she can set aside those donations in his or her mind and rule fairly on issues involving the donors.

But asked another way, not about each of them specifically but about judges in general, and many of them admit that it is a problem for some judges.

The Tuscaloosa News asserts: “the perception is that justice is for sale in Alabama. The unconscionable spending distorts the election process at the same time that it erodes the faith of state residents in an independent judiciary.”

Alabama is on the short list of states, like Pennsylvania, that elect all judges in partisan elections. The Montgomery Advertiser thinks its time for a change:

There are several variations on the merit selection theme being used by other states, but virtually any of them would be a major improvement on the nasty, costly and demeaning way Alabama now chooses its judiciary.

The Tuscaloosa News agrees “at least for the state’s highest — and most expensive — appellate offices.”

We hope the people of Alabama will heed the call for reform, and we hope the people of Pennsylvania will also realize that Merit Selection is a better way to select appellate judges.