Litigation

Editorial: Changes ?Protect Fair Courts in Missouri?

By Peter Hardin

Missouri recently adopted changes to make its merit selection method of choosing judges more transparent, and a Kansas City Star editorial has praised the revisions as protecting fair and impartial courts:

“The process spares Missouri from the prospect that its judges will be influenced by large campaign contributions. Analyses from elsewhere show that most money in judicial elections comes from a small number of big spenders ? people who want something from the courts.”

The changed procedures, outlined by Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr. (see Gavel Grab), include letting the public in on interviews of judicial candidates by a nominating commission; disclosure of voting by the commission; and permitting the public to nominate judicial candidates.

This year, critics of Missouri?s nationally recognized merit system tried, and failed, to get enough valid signatures to put the issue before voters this fall; the critics wanted to give voters a chance to support a system of competitive, partisan judicial elections. The newspaper editorial said these critics plan to continue their effort, and it suggested their motive is not greater openness:

“This continued opposition by critics confirms that their ultimate aim isn?t an open process, but rather the ability to control the state?s courts.”

Full post as published by The Gavel on October 06, 2010 (boomark / email).