judgesonmerit.org

Pennsylvanians are working to bring reform to their judicial selection process. A state on the other side of the continent won a resounding victory defending merit selection.

A recent suit brought in federal court in Alaska had alleged that the state’s non-partisan, merit-based judicial selection procedure violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14^th Amendment because the Alaska Bar Association, not an elected official, names three of the seven members to the nominating committee that recommends judicial candidates to the Governor for appointment.

The case was dismissed on Friday.  A full written order is forthcoming. “Federal courts have never thrown out a state’s merit selection process, according to Alaska Judicial Council director Larry Cohn,” reports the Anchorage Daily News. “A ruling like that, coming barely two months after conservative activists brought the case, is the equivalent of a first-round knockout.”

This ruling should be a boon to states like Pennsylvania currently fighting for merit selection – says Jonathan Blitzer on the blog of the Brennan Center for Justice.  Pennsylvania is one of only six states that still hold partisan elections for all levels of judges.  The merit-selection system has served Alaskans well since the state’s constitution was adopted in 1956.

For more information about the merit selection bill currently before the Pennsylvania legislature, check out our extensive coverage here.

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