How would you feel if you were in court and knew that the opposing lawyer had contributed money to the judge's campaign fund? This is not an improbable hypothetical question, but could be a commonplace occurrence in the 21 states where judges must raise money to campaign for their seats — often from people with business before the court. Though many states have elected judges since their founding, in the past 30 years, judicial elections have morphed from low-key affairs to big money campaigns. From 1999-2008, judicial candidates raised $200.4 million, more than double the $85.4 million raised in the previous decade (1989-1998).
According to retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, of all the fallout from the Citizens United decision, the most dangerous may be in judicial elections.
This week the JOURNAL revisits "Justice for Sale," a 1999 documentary about the impact of money on judicial elections in three states — Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana. Full Article and Source:
Justice For Sale
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I heard this Moyers program aired this past week and was disapointed to have missed it. Thanks for posting this, NASGA.
ReplyDeleteThe whole system is sick!
ReplyDeleteJudges are card-carrying lawyers.
How is a litigant supposed to know that he/she is dealing with a conflict of interest, if the judge doesn't recuse him/herself?
I believe what Bill Moyers stated, justice is for sale. What I also know is that the ward's attorney, the guardian and her attorney, the trust attorney and the judge all know one another and have worked on many cases together before. One attorney is the probate attorney for the guardian's mother with her personal account. . . and so it continues. I can surely believe that they would contribute to the judge's campaign for re-election therby creating a special tit-for-tat with the judge.
ReplyDeleteI have always been told that the big law firms contribute to both judges running for office so it doesn't matter who wins, the elected judge will be beholding to the firm.
ReplyDeleteBill Moyers, because he is Bill Moyers, brings credibility to this issue.
ReplyDeleteJustice has been for sale for a long time. I wonder if we can ever get it back to what it's supposed to be...
Justice is for sale follow the $$$ signs via campaign contributions and political connections = a disaster for me, for you, for the taxpaying chump who pays these people's salaries, benefits and retirement.
ReplyDeleteNice gig huh?
This is just more of the same old, same old. Judges and lawyers are often in cohoots; conflict of interest is the name of the game.
ReplyDelete