Practice Management

Recusal standards for state jurists

By Dan Hull

Thirty-one states in America still hold popular elections of judges. WAC? would be happy if elected state judges--with their shadow constituencies of campaign money-contributing companies and lawyers--could just adhere to the disqualification rules already in place. But many don't. Popular election of state judges is medieval and embarrassing--and so we like Tony Mauro's Law.com piece "A New Call for Tougher Recusal Standards". It begins:

With state judicial elections getting more costly and raucous, many organizations are voicing concern about how to preserve--or restore-- the independence and integrity of state court systems. When judicial candidates accept campaign donations or make campaign pronouncements that might affect their impartiality in future cases, what can be done?

Full post as published by What About Clients? on April 23, 2008 (boomark / email).