judgesonmerit.org

New information indicates that spending in the 2011-2012 judicial election cycle was even higher than previously reported, topping

$29.7 million and setting

a new record, according to a press release issued by Justice at Stake and the Brennan Center for Justice. The previous record was $24.4 million, set in 2004.

This news follows a December 8, 2012 runoff election in Louisiana to replace a retiring Supreme Court Justice. The last two weeks of the contest alone saw $113,000 spent, with a quarter of that coming from a single outside PAC.

We are likely see this record regularly broken in the years to come. Judicial elections will see massive and increasing quantities of cash burned to fuel political machines, and soon, “money as speech” will be the only audible voice remaining for the people to hear. We need a new way of selecting our judges.

For some of our recent articles on judicial election spending, see A Closer Look at Judicial Election Campaigns and Money Undermines Impartiality.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS