judgesonmerit.org

The Philadelphia Inquirer sets the stage for the election to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by citing comments the candidates’ made during the debate PMC cosponsored last week with the League of Women Voters of PA and the Harrisburg Area Community College:

Public perception of the judiciary has again emerged as a central issue in the statewide judicial campaigns, this time in the primary race to fill a single vacancy on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

With a high-profile judicial-corruption case in Luzerne County fresh on voters’ minds and questions about the length of time it took the Supreme Court to respond to issues raised by the case, candidates for the highest court are pledging to restore integrity to the bench.

Will this issue drive more voters to pay attention to and participate in the traditionally lower turn-out elections?  PMC Executive Director Lynn Marks said it was possible: “”People are saying, ‘We don’t want a court system like the one we read about in Luzerne.’ ”

What about the damage done to perceptions of the courts and the judiciary through the electoral process itself, in particular the need for campaigns to raise money from lawyers, law firms and entities who frequently litigate in the courts?  This is a major concern of voters, and a very good reason to find a new way to select appellate court judges.