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In a letter to the Philadelphia Daily News today, bar association chancellor Scott F. Cooper emphasized the importance of changing the way we select appellate court judges. Writing in support of last week’s editorial on Merit Selection, Chancellor Cooper emphasized the unavoidable problem of money in judicial elections:

The judicial system in Pennsylvania operates in spite of the elections that require candidates to collect millions in campaign contributions. Justice simply can’t be served when citizens question the ability of judges to be impartial when their donors appear before them. In a country based on rule of law, the courts must not only be immune to financial influences, the public must see them that way.

Cooper noted that Merit Selection carries the endorsement of the Bar Association, as well as that of Governor Rendell and numerous watchdog groups, including PMC. Public support is crucial to enacting reform. A switch to Merit Selection will require a public vote to amend the state constitution. Cooper argued that citizens should have the opportunity to speak out on the matter:

Pennsylvanians deserve the chance to lend their voice to this important debate. They should be allowed to decide on this constitutional change. And the time for that is now.

Well put Chancellor Cooper.

In a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Sayde Ladov reaffirms the Philadelphia Bar Association’s long-standing support for Merit Selection.  Noting the Caperton decision and the recent Merit Selection legislation introduced into the Pennsylvania legislature, Chancellor Ladov explains:

With the U.S. Supreme Court bringing more attention to this issue, we must work to ensure that candidates seeking a seat on our state benches are the most qualified, not the most financially or politically connected.

We whole-heartedly agree and are pleased that the Philadelphia Bar Association stands with us in calling for Merit Selection as the solution.

In her monthly column in the Philadelphia Bar Reporter, Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Sayde J. Ladov comments on recent episodes of Pennsylvania judges getting into trouble.  After noting the Luzerne County scandal and several recent judicial discipline cases, Ladov exclaims:

At this point, any right thinking human would say: what’s going on here? Is justice for sale? How far have we fallen? (An aside: If this is not the best reason for merit selection, then I have yet to figure one out.)

Ladov goes on to explain that it is incumbent on members of the legal profession to protect the independence of the judiciary.  At the same time, she urges the bar to criticize unethical conduct by judges.  She encourages lawyers to speak out about issues affecting and involving judges and the justice system, including Merit Selection:

You can talk to your elected official about the need for merit selection.  In fact, you can make it your personal campaign issue, something as personal and important as healthcare or tax reform.

Thanks to Chancellor Ladov for her support. We hope members of the bar will heed her call to action.

In letters to the editor this week in the Philadelphia Daily News, the League of Women Voters of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Bar Association unequivocally state their support for Merit Selection of appellate judges. On behalf of the League, Melissa R. Hunsberger writes: “Merit selection advocates believe that judges should be chosen based upon their qualifications rather than their political connections and that in doing so judges are freed from political influence and thus promotes a fair and impartial judiciary.”

Kenneth Shear, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association notes, “[W]ith a new selection method in place, as 44 other states have shown, our judiciary might be populated not by the best fund-raisers, but truly the best and the brightest.”

We thank the League of Women Voters and the Philadelphia Bar Association for their ongoing support and plan to continue to work with them to bring before the people of Pennsylvania the question of how we should select appellate judges.