Perhaps private citizen groups comprised of non-lawyers could serve to review the actions of judges. Congress has the responsibility, but they rarely do anything. Folks, improper influence, conflicts of interest, abound, right now, right here in Pennsylvania. They are easy to spot. They are all over the place. You don’t have to be a genius. In fact, the Canons refer to the average citizen who must be convinced of the courts’ integrity.

Not only is money a corrupting influence in the election process, its power remains a constant threat. Ask the Luzerne Criminals.

By not holding judges accountable the system has devolved into a cesspool of misconduct, doing favors, forbidding or restricting discovery to squelch one side, etc. It is plain as day. The tragedy is that those who know the system inside and out, are silent. How many legal professionals, people of distinction and merit, were aware of the high incarceration rate in Luzerne, the absence of colloquy, etc., and did zero? Thank goodness for the one gutsy attorney, Sam Stretton, for blowing the whistle!

Yes. Judges need to make tough decisions, even unpopular ones, without fear of losing their jobs. However, judges do need to fear making compromised decisions that are unjust, paid-for, influenced by their friends and colleagues, etc. Judges must be constrained by the Law and the Canons of their profession.

It makes no sense, in fact it is silly, to endow a group of people with such vast power, virtually unchecked, and expect them to self-govern properly.