Sunday, July 13, 2014

Bill Moyers Journal: Justice for Sale

Bill Moyers Journal
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).

Because of the costs of running such a campaign, critics contend that judges have had to become politicians and fundraisers rather than jurists. In a poll by Justice at Stake, 97% of elected state Supreme Court justices said they were under pressure to raise money during their election years.

Full Article and Source:
Justice for Sale - (Watch the Video)

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad to see Bill Moyers take on the subject of judicial corruption.

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  2. Thank you Bill Moyers.

    You are on the right path to connecting the dots.

    Litigation is costly, stressful beyond description under fair circumstances.

    Add in the politics, with the urgent need for campaign funds is a recipe for disaster for the litigants resulting in decisions and rulings based on the buddy system funded by the taxpayers forced to enable a toxic environment.

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