America’s locally elected prosecutors have authority to reinforce mass incarceration and racial disparities incriminal legal system.
Judicial Elections articles on Democracy Chronicles
Judicial elections in the United States have undergone a dramatic transformation recently. Today, partisan political groups are spending big money to elect their favorite judges raising serious issues of independence, integrity and impartiality. The possibility of corrupt and even secretive influence bought by funding candidates for the bench raises serious concern. While it is possible that the use of judicial elections may be a workable system for selecting judges, the threat of turning judges into politicians remains evident. Also see our section on American democracy and our Supreme Court articles.
Dark Money Dominating State Supreme Court Races
Outside groups continue to pour money into state supreme court campaigns, television advertising spending so far totaling $5 million this election season.
Dark Money Groups to Spend Millions in State Supreme Court Races
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law will track, analyze, and publish data on television spending in these campaigns, leading up to the November 6 elections.
Money Starting to Dominate State Supreme Court Elections
Causing the greatest distress is the growing prevalence of so-called “dark money” in state judicial campaigns
North Carolina Elections Are Ground Zero in Broken System
North Carolina’s civil-rights and good-government groups are preparing for a special session
Debate over how to elect NC judges gets uglier
Democratic senators walked out of a legislative study committee meeting Wednesday on judicial selection
Montana Makes Stand For Impartial Judicial Elections
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals bars judicial candidates from seeking and using party endorsements
Ethics Concerns as Koch Brothers Run TV Ads For a Virginia Judge
There is concern that the judge backed by the ads may have to recuse himself in future cases
Case Shows Punishing Judges For Political Activity is Not Easy
A judicial conduct complaint resulted in the censure of judges who spoke out against a ballot measure
A Closer Look at Proposed NJ Judicial Retention Election Plan
Republican proposal for retention elections as a check on the judiciary in New Jersey