Constitutional Law

Campaign Donations and Judicial Influence

A study by Tulane law professor Vernon Valentine Palmer finds that campaign donations to Louisiana Supreme Court justices by litigants -- and not the judge's underlying philosophical orientation -- often sway the outcome of cases, with larger donations having greater effects, according to an article by Adam Liptak in the New York Times.

Novelist John Grisham discusses the judicial election process in this interview with Bill Moyers on his new book, The Appeal.

The Brennan Center for Justice offers extensive information on judicial elections here.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on January 30, 2008 (boomark / email).