judgesonmerit.org

In an editorial in today’s Patriot-News, we make the case for Merit Selection of appellate court judges: Merit Selection “gets appellate judges out of the fundraising business and emphasizes qualifications. It opens pathways to the bench for qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds. This should give Pennsylvanians more confidence in the ability, fairness and impartiality of appellate courts.”

We explain the lengthy constitutional amendment process, which culminates in a public referendum. We emphasize that only the people of Pennsylvania can decide — by voting in a referendum — to change the way we pick appellate court judges.

The editorial closes with an appeal to get this issue before the people: “It’s time to let Pennsylvanians decide whether expensive, partisan elections are the best way to pick appellate court judges. Legislators should be encouraged to pass this proposed constitutional amendment and put merit selection on the ballot so that we — the voters of Pennsylvania — can decide for ourselves how to choose appellate court judges.”

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