Wednesday, March 24, 2010
FRANCES P. SEGARS-ANDREWS. PETITIONER V. JUDICIAL MERIT SELECTION COMMISSION, ET. AL.
The opinion in Frances P. Segars-Andrews, Petitioner, v. Judicial Merit Selection Commission, The State of South Carolina, Andre Bauer, in his official capacity as President of the South Carolina Senate, and Glenn F. McConnell, in his official capacity as President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate, and Robert W. Harrell, Jr., in his official capacity as Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Respondents can be accessed here.
The opinion in Frances P. Segars-Andrews, Petitioner, v. Judicial Merit Selection Commission, The State of South Carolina, Andre Bauer, in his official capacity as President of the South Carolina Senate, and Glenn F. McConnell, in his official capacity as President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate, and Robert W. Harrell, Jr., in his official capacity as Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Respondents can be accessed here.
We cannot take issue with the South Carolina Supreme Court's reasoning. However, if the sole--or even most glaring--"mistake" that Judge Segars-Andrews made during sixteen (16) years on the Bench was her failure to recuse herself in one particular case, then we must conclude that the members of the Judicial Merit Selection Committee acted arbitrarily in concluding that she is unqualified to continue serving on the Bench. Unfortunately, they have put a stink on Judge Segars-Andrews that will never wash off. More important, after being made aware of this case, any sane person should have serious misgivings about even considering becoming a judge.
