Litigation

Texas Chief Justice Calls for Merit Selection

By Lissette Villarruel

The Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice has advocated merit selection over elections for the state judiciary, saying “the status quo is broken,” according to an article by The Southeast Texas Record.

In his State of the Judiciary address to the state legislature, Texas Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson echoed former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O?Connor?s support for merit selection, declaring that he was ?so pleased to be speaking to visionaries in the House and Senate,? because only those chambers were capable of making the necessary changes. The full transcript of Jefferson?s address can be found here.

Jefferson speaks at a time when Texas court elections, long dominated by Republicans, are becoming more closely contested, along increasingly partisan (more…)

Full post as published by The Gavel on February 17, 2009 (boomark / email).