Friday, December 28, 2007
ANOTHER REASON WHY JUDGES SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED BY THE PUBLIC
The comments to this article on a recent South Carolina Supreme Court Opinion suggest that many of those posting comments have not bothered to read the Supreme Court Opinion at issue. Other posters apparently do not understand that:
- We have a federal form of government;
- Judges are supposed to interpret laws rather than enact laws;
- Appellate Court Judges rule only on the issues presented to them by the parties as opposed to issues that the general public may consider to be of paramount importance; and,
- Congress lacks the power to remove State Court Judges.
No doubt that there are problems with both the Judiciary and our Judicial System. However, based upon a review of the comments in The Post and Courier, the fact that these five Justices upheld their sworn duty rather than engaging in Judicial Activism has offended the general public and would cost them their jobs if they had to run in a general election. That possibility does not make us want to climb on board the popular election of Judges bandwagon.
