Aug 16 2010
New Report on Judicial Elections: Things are Getting Worse
Today, PMC partners Justice At Stake, the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Institute on Money in State Politics issued a new report analyzing the last decade of judicial elections entitled “The New
Politics of Judicial Elections: 2000-2009.” Pennsylvania is prominently featured in the Report, which examines the explosion in fundraising and spending in these elections as well as the increasing participation of special
interests.
The Report notes that Pennsylvania ranks second in the nation for election spending during the decade. In addition, Pennsylvania was home to the most expensive Supreme Court election in the nation during the 2007-08
cycle. In that year, there were two vacancies on the Supreme Court. According to the Report, candidate and third-party spending totaled $10.3 million. In 2009, as the report notes, the high spending trend continued in Pennsylvania, and we saw the most expensive single seat race in our history.
The Report certainly highlights the increasing importance of cold, hard cash in judicial elections and also reminds us that poll after poll demonstrates that the public — and judges as well — believe that campaign contributions influence judicial decision making.
But there is some cause for optimism. The Report notes that reform efforts are making progress, and that Merit Selection is gaining ground in states throughout the nation.
The Report presents a cautionary tale — state judicial elections are getting much worse when measured by the factors that affect public confidence: money and special interest participation. The public wants
fair and impartial courts. Money is widely viewed as a corrupting influence and it undermines the public’s confidence in our courts and judiciary. There is a clear solution: get money out of the process of
choosing judges. The most effective way to do that is Merit Selection.
Here are the links to the Report:
Letter From Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Tags: Brennan Center for Justice, judicial elections, Justice At Stake, Merit Selection, National Institute on Money in State Politics, Pennsylvania
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