Sunday, May 25, 2008
POPULAR ELECTION OF JUDGES--A GOOD THING?
The New York Times reports in "Rendering Justice, With One Eye on Re-election:"
The question of how best to select judges has baffled lawyers and political scientists for centuries, but in the United States most states have made their choice in favor of popular election. The tradition goes back to Jacksonian populism, and supporters say it has the advantage of making judges accountable to the will of the people. A judge who makes a series of unpopular decisions can be challenged in an election and removed from the bench.
Read the rest of the article at Rendering Justice, With One Eye on Re-election. Then tell us whether popular elections of judges would better insure that the rights of parents are protected. Would the practice result in greater scrutiny and accountability or would it result in mob rule?
Labels: Election of Judges
