Saturday, December 26, 2009
EFFORT BEGUN TO END VOTING FOR JUDGES
An article in The New York Times discusses the efforts of a group of lawyers, political leaders, and judges "to persuade states to choose judges on the basis of merit rather than on their ability to win an election."
Merit as a controlling factor in the selection of judges? Can it happen? And is this Editorial a call for selection of judges on the basis of merit or merely a call to change the makeup of the group that selects the judges? Remember, both Virginia and South Carolina provide for Legislative election of judges; but unlike South Carolina, Virginia has initiated a judicial evaluation program that appears to be designed both to maintain the independence of the Judiciary and to identify judges who are not ethically or intellectually qualified to serve on the Bench.
Labels: Election of Judges
