tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31762369559285984242024-01-27T19:00:14.180-08:00Judicial SelectionJudicial Selection, by Stephen Ware, a law professor at KU, in Lawrence, Kansas.Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-8585572366265320422022-11-28T15:48:00.004-08:002022-11-28T15:48:41.423-08:00Custom and Senate Confirmation of New Jersey Supreme Court Nominees Results in Democratic Governor Appointing a Republican<p>New Jersey's Democratic Governor Phil Murphy nominated a Republican, Douglas Fasciale, to the state's supreme court. Republican Senator Holly Schepisi says this nomination is the result of Schepsi's deal with Murphy, according Katie Sobko, writing for <a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/state/2022/09/14/governor-phil-murphy-republican-douglas-fasciale-nj-supreme-court/69493893007/" target="_blank">northjersey.com</a>.</p><p>Sobko adds that an unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy "allows senators to block judicial nominees from their home county," which Sen. Schepisi did in blocking Gov. Murphy's nomination of Rachel Wainer Apter for a different seat on the NJ Supreme Court. The deal apparently unblocked Wainer Apter in exchange for nominating Republican Fasciale. </p><p>"These nominations — Fasciale, a Republican, and Wainer Apter, a Democrat — maintain the 70-year tradition of having a political power balance on the state’s highest court," Sobko notes.</p><p>Both nominees were <a href="https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/20221017b.shtml" target="_blank">confirmed</a> by the state senate.</p>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-28276387682021773082022-04-04T16:52:00.000-07:002022-04-04T16:52:07.307-07:00Oklahoma Senate Votes to Replace Supreme Court Nominating Commission with Senate Confirmation<p> The Oklahoma Senate recently voted to replace the state’s
current bar-privileging method of supreme court selection with a more democratic
appointment process including senate confirmation of the governor’s nominee.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oklahoma Supreme Court selection currently centers on judicial
nominating commission (“JNC”) with <a href="https://courtfacts.org/jnc/">six</a>
of its fifteen members selected by the state’s bar. The governor must appoint one
of the three finalists chosen by the JNC. Oklahoma’s JNC has been <a href="https://www.ocpathink.org/post/critics-denounce-secrecy-of-oklahoma-judicial-nominating-process">criticized</a>
for its secrecy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>To reform this system, the Oklahoma Senate recently passed <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENGR/SRES/SJR43%20ENGR.PDF">Joint
Resolution 43</a> which, if approved by Oklahoma’s House and voters, would
amend the Oklahoma Constitution to abolish the current JNC and instead follow the
United States Constitution in subjecting the governor’s supreme court nominee to
senate confirmation.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The Oklahoma Senate has <a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2016/05/senate-confirmation-of-judges-advances.html" target="_blank">previously</a> sought similar change.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-60072576380399331752020-08-10T19:02:00.000-07:002020-08-10T19:02:01.355-07:00Constitutional Challenge to Florida Supreme Court Appointment <p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">On May 26,
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2020/05/26/ron-desantis-announces-two-more-appointments-to-the-florida-supreme-court/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">appointed</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> attorneys
John Couriel and Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court after </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-19-20-post-session-press-conference-with-gov-ron-desantis-senate-president-bill-galvano-and-house-speaker-jose-oliva/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">missing</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> his constitutional deadline to fill
the vacancies by March 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, state Rep.
Geraldine Thompson (D) filed a </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/2020-985_petition_76068_petition2dquo20warranto.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">motion</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> in the Florida Supreme Court in July
challenging Francis’ appointment because Francis would not be constitutionally
qualified to sit on the bench until September 24—ten years after she became a <a href="https://www.floridabar.org/directories/find-mbr/profile/?num=84181">member</a>
of the State Bar</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Art. V, § 8
of the Florida Constitution </span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=3#A5S08"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">states</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> that “No person is eligible for the
office of justice of the supreme court or judge of a district court of appeal
unless the person is, and has been for the preceding ten years, a member of the
bar of Florida.” Thompson’s motion </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/2020-985_petition_76068_petition2dquo20warranto.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">asserts</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> that this “language of the Florida
Constitution requires that an individual satisfy that requirement prior to
being eligible for appointment.” (Emergency Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto
& Writ of Mandamus, 1, <i>Thompson v.
DeSantis & Nordby</i>, No. 110155215 (Fla. 2020)).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In contrast,
Governor DeSantis’ </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/desantis-defends-supreme-court-justice-selection-process/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">response</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> argues that “appointment does not
constitute assuming office” and Francis will not assume office until the end of
her maternity <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fabiola-santiago/article242993186.html">leave</a>
on September 24.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Having
anticipated that argument, Thompson also </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/2020-985_petition_76068_petition2dquo20warranto.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">argued</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> that “[i]f the Court concludes that
Governor DeSantis has not yet formally ‘appointed’ Judge Francis to the Florida
Supreme Court, it should issue a writ of mandamus requiring the Governor to
immediately appoint another individual who meets all the qualifications of the
Florida Constitution from a new list of qualified candidates. Pursuant to the
Florida Constitution, Governor DeSantis had a clear duty to appoint a fully
qualified nominee no later than March 23, 2020. If Governor DeSantis has not
yet made the required ‘appointment,’ he is in express violation of the Florida
Constitution” ((Emergency Petition, <i>Thompson</i>,
No. 110155215 at 2).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In a
previous </span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2020/05/covid19-pandemic-delays-governor-in.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">blog</span></a></span><u><span lang="EN" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> post</span></u><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, I discussed how Florida’s constitution requires the
governor to fill supreme court vacancies within a 60 day deadline but does not
specify any repercussions if a governor passes the deadline. If the court
agrees with Thompson’s argument that DeSantis violated the Constitution by
delaying his appointments, it will be interesting to see if it also demands
that DeSantis make a new appointment. Otherwise, such a finding of
unconstitutional delay would seem toothless, as in the 2009 case of </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9007427540687899968&hl=en&as_sdt=2006"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pleus v. Crist</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> in which the Florida Supreme Court chose not to declare any
repercussions for the governor’s unconstitutional missing of the appointment
deadline.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks to</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Arrian
Ebrahimi</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> for research assistance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000001110.658252863821154 -130.52926760000003 67.278720536178838 -60.216767600000011tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-13762060354062167972020-05-27T13:09:00.001-07:002020-05-27T13:09:29.137-07:00Cancellation of Georgia Supreme Court Election Raises Concerns about the Role of Interim Judicial Appointments<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Georgia’s Supreme Court recently decided whether the next
member of that court would be elected by the state’s people or appointed by the
governor. With six justices <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local/georgia-supreme-court-kemp-can-appoint-justice-blackwell-successor/UrF91MCmfGkELsbhSO8jfK/">recused</a>
(and temporarily replaced by five lower court judges), <a href="https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/s20a1029.pdf"><i><span style="color: #1155cc;">Barrow v.
Raffensperger</span></i></a> let stand the Georgia Secretary of State’s
cancellation of an election to fill resigning Justice Blackwell’s seat, thus
allowing Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to appoint Blackwell’s successor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Georgia’s Constitution provides that “All Justices of the
Supreme Court ... shall be elected on a nonpartisan basis for a term of six
years. The terms of all judges thus elected shall begin the next January 1
after their election.”<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"> (</span><a href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/georgia/conart6.html">Art. 6, § 7,
Par. 1</a>). <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;">“Vacancies shall be filled
by appointment of the Governor,” (</span><a href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/georgia/conart6.html">Art. 6, § 7,
Par. 3</a>) and “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;">An appointee to an elective office shall serve until a successor is duly
selected and qualified and until January 1 of the year following the next
general election which is more than six months after such person's appointment.”
(</span><a href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/georgia/conart6.html">Art.
6, § 7, Par. 4</a>)<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Justice Blackwell’s current term is set to end Dec. 31,
2020, and a May 19, 2020, election was scheduled to fill the next standard
six-year term for his office, which would begin on Jan. 1, 2021. However, on
Feb. 26, 2020, Justice Blackwell submitted a letter to Governor Kemp resigning
from his office effective Nov. 18, 2020. The Governor accepted Justice
Blackwell’s resignation and announced that he would appoint a successor to the
office. The Georgia Secretary of State canceled the May 19 election for the
next term of Justice Blackwell’s office on the ground that Blackwell’s
resignation, once it was accepted, created a vacancy that the Governor could
fill by appointment, and thus no election was legally required. The Georgia
Supreme Court agreed in <a href="https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/s20a1029.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Barrow v. Raffensperger</span></i></a><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, a dissent argued the secretary of state cannot
cancel an election “based on an expected or highly likely vacancy in the
office” and progressive <a href="https://archive.thinkprogress.org/author/ian-millhiser/">Ian Millhiser</a>
objected to this “<span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">scheme to
keep Blackwell’s seat in the GOP’s hands.” Millhiser </span><a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/5/19/21262376/georgia-republicans-cancel-election-state-supreme-court-barrow-kemp-blackwell"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; mso-highlight: white;">predicted</span></a><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"> in Vox that “The upshot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barrow</i> is likely to be that when a
justice who belongs to the same party as the governor wishes to retire, they
will submit a post-dated resignation similar to the one Blackwell submitted to
Kemp. That will effectively give that justice’s party an extra two years to
hold on to the justice’s seat before the next election takes place.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">Interesting
to note that Millhiser’s characterization of the judicial seat as “in the GOP’s
hands” refers to a state with ostensibly non-partisan elections. And
Millhiser’s reference to “</span>a justice who belongs to the same party as the
governor” conflicts with the notion <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">that sitting justices do not identify with a political party </span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text1;">or that using non-partisan judicial
elections, as Georgia does, can keep partisan politics from the bench. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks to<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="color: purple;">Arrian
Ebrahimi</span></a> for research assistance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000001138.7710052 -95.6957411 39.1659682 -95.050294100000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-38901140191152556062020-05-07T11:07:00.000-07:002020-05-08T07:52:59.469-07:00Arizona Governor’s Record-Breaking Court Appointments Highlight Commission as the Only Check on the Governor<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Arizona
Governor Doug Ducey (R) just made headlines for setting a new </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/05/01/ducey-surpasses-state-record-of-judicial-appointments/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">record</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of 71
judicial appointments, a milestone that has drawn attention to the Arizona </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/jnc/AbouttheCommissionMembers.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Commission</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on Appellate
Appointments. The Commission is the only check on an Arizona governor’s appellate
court appointments, because Arizona lacks confirmation of judicial nominees by
the legislature. The force of the Commission’s check depends on the number of
nominees the Commission sends the governor. “The more names you [the
Commission] give him the more it’s like he can pick whoever he wants,” </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/05/01/ducey-surpasses-state-record-of-judicial-appointments/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">said</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> former
Arizona State University law dean Paul Bender. “The commission is there for a
reason, and it’s to narrow down the people so the governor can appoint the best
people… When you start sending in five or seven names, that doesn’t work as
well anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When an
Arizona appellate court vacancy occurs, Art. 6, Section 37(A) of the Arizona
Constitution </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/jnc/Constitutional-Provisions#Article_6,_Section_37:__Judicial_vacancies_and_appointments;_initial_terms;_residence;_age"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">requires</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the
Commission </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">to “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">submit to the governor the names of not less
than three persons nominated by it to fill such vacancy,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> but there is no maximum. In contrast, the constitutional
maximum from supreme court nominating commissions is three in Colorado (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=864178ca-99bc-437a-8901-0453f2308bcc&nodeid=AABAAHAAHAAD&nodepath=%2FROOT%2FAAB%2FAABAAH%2FAABAAHAAH%2FAABAAHAAHAAD&level=4&haschildren=&populated=false&title=Section+20.+VACANCIES&config=0143JAAwODgxYWIyNi1mNGJlLTQwYmItYmE4Ni0yOWY2NzQzMjE3MTAKAFBvZENhdGFsb2ecqetP0coiYGhC4QCG46NJ&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5YGT-G8H1-K0BB-S097-00008-00&ecomp=f58_kkk&prid=28e39bd2-80f6-4d6e-83b8-f40f054ee2a7"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. 6, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 20</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">), Indiana (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/const/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. 7, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 10</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">), Iowa (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://publications.iowa.gov/135/1/history/7-7.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. V, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§ </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">15</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">), Missouri (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Publications/CurrentMissouriConstitution.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. V, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">25(a)</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">), Oklahoma (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://libraries.ok.gov/wp-content/uploads/oklahoma-constitution.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. 3, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 4</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">), and Wyoming
(</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://wyoleg.gov/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. 5, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 4</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">). New York’s
Constitution (</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.dos.ny.gov/info/constitution.htm"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. VI, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 2</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span lang="EN">does not specify a maximum for its highest
court, the Court of Appeals, but its statutory maximum is seven. </span></span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/judiciary-law/jud-sect-63.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">N.Y. Judiciary Law § 63(2)</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Arizona’s
legislature plays a role in selecting the Commission. </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/jnc/Constitutional-Provisions"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Art. 6, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">§</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> 36(A)</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of Arizona’s
Constitution states that, the sixteen commission members <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shall be composed of the chief justice of the
supreme court, who shall be chairman, five attorney members, who shall be
nominated by the board of governors of the state bar of Arizona and appointed
by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate in the manner
prescribed by law, and ten nonattorney members who shall be appointed by the
governor with the advice and consent of the senate in the manner prescribed by
law.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The same
section continues to say that no more than three lawyer members and five
nonlawyer members may be from the same political party. Similar rules of
political balance apply to the commission itself. Art. 6, Section 37(A) says
that no more than 60% of the nominees submitted to the governor may be of the
same political party. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Arizona Gov.
Ducey’s second term has seen the commission offer increasingly long lists of
nominees. His recent appellate appointment of Cynthia Bailey came from a list
of </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/75/Appellate_Vacancies/NewsRelease-Nominations-Johnsen.pdf?ver=2020-03-12-161155-127"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">ten</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> candidates, after
the Commission only eliminated one applicant. In contrast, the </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/jnc/News-Meetings"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">average</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> number of
nominees submitted by the Commission in 2017 was six, and Ducey’s predecessor,
Gov. Jan Brewer (R), only </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/05/01/ducey-surpasses-state-record-of-judicial-appointments/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">received</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> lists of
three nominees for all her Supreme Court appointments. This shift seems to have
occurred after Gov. Ducey </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/05/02/doug-ducey-stacking-arizona-commission-appellate-court-appointments-democrats-say/3630708002/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">appointed</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> five new
members to the commission in 2017, </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/75/Membership_Lists/AppellateMembershipList-PUBLIC.pdf?ver=2020-04-23-111954-323"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">leaving</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the panel
with only Republicans and independents. Democrats, like state Sen. Rebecca
Rios, </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/05/02/doug-ducey-stacking-arizona-commission-appellate-court-appointments-democrats-say/3630708002/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">argue</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that these
appointments were “blatantly skewed.” She went on to say “[w]hen Gov. (Janet)
Napolitano was governor, I think it's important to note that she, in fact,
nominated seven Republicans” to the commission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The governor’s
increased freedom from the commission’s large slates manifested in 2019 when Gov.
Ducey appointed Supreme Court Justice Bill Montgomery to the bench. After </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2019/05/31/montgomery-opponents-cleared-from-judicial-nominating-commission/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">replacing</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the three
retired commissioners who voted against nominating Montgomery earlier that
year, the Commission unanimously </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/75/Appellate_Vacancies/Minutes/Interview7-26-19Minutes.pdf?ver=2019-08-26-124334-367"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">approved</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> adding his
name to the seven-person finalist list in July. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks to </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Arrian Ebrahimi</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> for research assistance.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000001138.7710052 -95.6957411 39.1659682 -95.050294100000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-36565063313214690992020-05-02T17:41:00.000-07:002020-05-02T19:11:54.460-07:00Covid19 Pandemic Delays Governor in Filling Vacancies on Florida Supreme Court<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Florida
law gives Governor Ron DeSantis 60 days from Jan. 23 to fill vacancies on the
Florida Supreme Court, but DeSantis said his power under his Mar. 9 pandemic <a href="https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO-20-52.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext;">emergency declaration</span></a> allows him to extend
the deadline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two
of the court’s seven seats became vacant when two of DeSantis’ earlier
appointments, <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">Justices
Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, were</span></span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article237506884.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article237506884.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">confirmed</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> to the federal 11th
Circuit</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Court of Appeals. Florida’s
Constitution establishes <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">a
judicial nominating commission (JNC) charged with providing the governor “</span>not
fewer than three persons nor more than six persons” as<span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"> nominees to fill vacancies, and </span>Art. V,
Section 11(c)</span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=3#A5S11"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=3#A5S11"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">states</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: “The <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">governor shall make the
appointment within sixty days after the nominations have been certified to the
governor.” Those 60 days started Jan. 23 when the JNC submitted its </span></span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2020/01/23/nine-florida-supreme-court-nominees-sent-gov-ron-desantis/4554369002/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">nominations</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> to Gov. DeSantis.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
a press briefing on</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-19-20-post-session-press-conference-with-gov-ron-desantis-senate-president-bill-galvano-and-house-speaker-jose-oliva/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-19-20-post-session-press-conference-with-gov-ron-desantis-senate-president-bill-galvano-and-house-speaker-jose-oliva/"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mar. 19</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Gov.
DeSantis was asked by a reporter: “You have until Monday to make two Florida
Supreme Court decisions. Have you been able to interview all the nominees with
everything that’s been going on?” The governor responded that he has
interviewed the nominees but not read their judicial opinions in depth;
therefore, he said “I will most likely delay under the state of emergency that
deadline.” <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">JNC chair Daniel
Nordby</span></span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-desantis-supreme-court-coronavirus-20200320-jr6b6lptvnf5blb5bgiauuujpi-story.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-desantis-supreme-court-coronavirus-20200320-jr6b6lptvnf5blb5bgiauuujpi-story.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">agrees</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> with Gov. DeSantis
that the “slate of nominees isn’t affected by the expiration of the 60 days. I
continue to have confidence in Governor DeSantis as he decides how b</span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">est to
fill these two vacancies from this talented list of nominees.”</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">However, not all court watchers approve of this
delay. Adam Richardson, a West Palm Beach lawyer, <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/ron-desantis-renatha-francis-florida-supreme-court.html"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">asserts</span></a> on
Slate, that Gov. DeSantis “has been violating the state constitution since
March 23. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">On that date, he
refused to appoint two justices to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court of
Florida by the constitutionally mandated deadline.” Richardson then refers to
the case of the previous Florida governor, Charlie Crist, to miss the
constitutional deadline for a judicial appointment. In 2009 Crist </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">was</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/briefs-filed-in-fifth-dca-judicial-appointment-case/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/briefs-filed-in-fifth-dca-judicial-appointment-case/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">sued</span></a></span><u><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></u><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">by
the retiring appellate judge whose seat on the Fifth District Court of Appeals
he sought to fill. Gov. Crist rejected the JNC’s original six nominees,
claiming that the panel overlooked qualified black candidates, and he asked the
commission for a new slate. The JNC ignored this request, returning the same
six names, and the governor subsequently refused to appoint a successor to
Judge Robert Pleus. Judge Pleus’s suit against Gov. Crist came before the Florida
Supreme Court, which</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9007427540687899968&hl=en&as_sdt=2006"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9007427540687899968&hl=en&as_sdt=2006"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">held</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> that “the Governor
lacks authority under the constitution to seek a new list of nominees from the
JNC and has a mandatory duty to fill the vacancy created by Petitioner's
retirement with an appointment from the list certified to him” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleus v. Crist</i>, 14 So.3d 941, 946 (Fla.
2009).</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> However, the court did not declare
any repercussions if a governor passes the deadline.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
apparent power of the governor to exceed the 60-day limit would distinguish
Florida from some other states with judicial nominating commissions. For
instance, the Kansas </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://kslib.info/829/Article-3-Judicial"><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Constitution</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
says “In event of the failure of the governor to make the appointment within
sixty days from the time the names of the nominees are submitted to him, the
chief justice of the supreme court shall make the appointment from such
nominees.” See <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">Art. 3, §
5(b). Unclear whether an executive order declaring an emergency might forestall
the chief justice. In a similar vein, the Missouri Constitution says “</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If the governor fails to appoint any
of the nominees within sixty days after the list of nominees is submitted, the
nonpartisan judicial commission making the nomination shall appoint one of the
nominees to fill the vacancy.” See Art. 5, </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">§</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">25(a).</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0px;">Thanks to</span><span lang="EN" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: purple; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: purple; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Arrian Ebrahimi</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0px;"> for research assistance.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000001138.7710052 -95.6957411 39.1659682 -95.050294100000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-39546890083568609082020-04-14T18:54:00.001-07:002020-04-14T18:54:22.697-07:00Wisconsin’s Coronavirus Election Focused on its Hotly Contested State Supreme Court<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Wisconsin’s election last week
grabbed</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/06/827122852/it-s-madness-wisconsin-s-election-amid-coronavirus-sparks-anger"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/06/827122852/it-s-madness-wisconsin-s-election-amid-coronavirus-sparks-anger"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">national headlines</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">
due to partisan battles over opening polling places during a pandemic, but
followers of Wisconsin politics suggest the crucial partisan divide was over
the state Supreme Court. “[T]he battle over the court is the reason that the
GOP defied pleas to postpone the vote: Republicans calculated that holding the
election in the midst of the pandemic gave incumbent conservative justice Dan
Kelly a better chance of holding his seat,” according to veteran commentator
Charles Sykes writing in</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-partisan-battleground-176292"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-partisan-battleground-176292"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Politico</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/us/politics/wisconsin-primary-results.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/us/politics/wisconsin-primary-results.html"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">winner</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> of last week’s election, however,
was liberal challenger Judge Jill Karofsky who</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wisconsin-primary-supreme-court-race-live-results-updates-vote-counts-2020-4"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wisconsin-primary-supreme-court-race-live-results-updates-vote-counts-2020-4"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">beat</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> incumbent Kelly by 10%, thus </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-backed-wisconsin-supreme-court-justice-falls-to-liberal-challenger"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">reducing</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> conservatives’ edge on the court
from 5-2 to 4-3.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although Wisconsin Supreme Court
elections are nominally non-partisan, the usual Red and Blue teams routinely
dominate. As</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-partisan-battleground-176292"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-partisan-battleground-176292"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sykes</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> puts it, “While the election of
judges is technically nonpartisan, over the past two decades all pretenses have
been dropped, as the races have become high-stakes proxy battles between
Democrats and Republicans. Spending on the current campaign between Kelly and
progressive challenger Jill Karnofsky topped $8 million and, following the
pattern of recent elections, the contest was both intensely ideological and
personally bitter.” And: “During the campaign, Karnofsky, who is running as an
advocate of ‘social justice,’ accused Kelly of ‘running his Supreme Court
campaign out of the Wisconsin GOP headquarters,” and noted that he was touting
the support of President Donald Trump.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other than coronavirus, this Supreme
Court race “in most other respects resemble[d] those before it: intensely
partisan, even though its nominally nonpartisan; awash in campaign spending;
and high-stakes for the ideological balance of the court,”</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/as-election-nears-covid-19-pandemic-highlights-judicial-style-of-supreme-court-candidates/article_2cd76aa4-4d13-5f73-bed9-e29e68888b3d.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/as-election-nears-covid-19-pandemic-highlights-judicial-style-of-supreme-court-candidates/article_2cd76aa4-4d13-5f73-bed9-e29e68888b3d.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">observed</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Riley Vetterkind in the Wisconsin
State Journal. These elections first turned boisterous in 1999, where the court
saw its </span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.judicialselection.us/judicial_selection/index.cfm?state=WI"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">first</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> million dollar election battle, and
Marquette University Professor </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/us/wisconsin-supreme-court-election-raises-partisanship-concerns.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paul Nolette</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> considers
this transformation “<span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">a
reflection in part of the polarization i</span>n Wisconsin <span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">in general.”</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Battles over the Wisconsin Supreme
Court, and within the court, have been raging for years. Formerly, the role of
chief justice fell to the court’s most senior member, but a 2015 constitutional</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/jessie-opoien/wisconsin-senate-approves-supreme-court-chief-justice-amendment/article_7fdaeee0-7ceb-5d55-ae57-b91ecfd302f2.html"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/jessie-opoien/wisconsin-senate-approves-supreme-court-chief-justice-amendment/article_7fdaeee0-7ceb-5d55-ae57-b91ecfd302f2.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">amendment</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> changed
this selection process to election by the other justices. Democrats</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/justice-ann-walsh-bradley-wins-re-election-to-supreme-court/article_b4383b6f-e59a-5e79-ad6e-c97ca6fa5154.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/justice-ann-walsh-bradley-wins-re-election-to-supreme-court/article_b4383b6f-e59a-5e79-ad6e-c97ca6fa5154.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">derided</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that amendment as a veiled attempt
to unseat then incumbent liberal Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, but it
nonetheless passed the legislature and a statewide ballot. I observed in a
previous</span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-and-ideological-clashes-on.html"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-and-ideological-clashes-on.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">post</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that tensions heightened even
further as Chief Justice Abrahamson subsequently sued the other six members of
her court after losing reelection as chief under the new rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">#scowi</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: white;">Thanks
to</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="background: white; color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: white; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianebrahimi/"><span style="background: white; color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: white;">Arrian Ebrahimi</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: white;"> for research
assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000001138.7710052 -95.6957411 39.1659682 -95.050294100000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-80452108933162206162020-02-08T15:28:00.001-08:002020-02-08T15:28:50.295-08:00Utah Judicial Selection in National PerspectiveUtah is interesting, and not just for Mitt Romney being the only senator to break from party over removing President Trump from office. A <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SJR008.html" target="_blank">proposed amendment</a> to the Utah Constitution is a chance to note that Utah is also interesting because its method of supreme court selection seems to appeal both to advocates of "merit selection" and to people (like me) who reject that label, and what it often conceals, in favor of "democratic appointment."<br />
<br />
The gist of "merit selection" (better called the "Missouri Plan") is that applicants for a judgeship are vetted by a nominating commission that supposedly cares about "merit" rather than "politics". Only the commission's three (or so) finalists may be chosen by the governor to fill the judgeship.<br />
<br />
With the commission playing such a key role as gatekeeper to the court, the key is who appoints the commission? Who picks the picker?<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, many "merit selection" states allow the bar to pick some members of the commission, which violates basic democratic equality by privileging lawyers above their fellow citizens in the selection of important public officials. These officials, as every lawyer knows, sometimes move the law in a progressive direction or a conservative direction. State supreme court justices are important lawmakers.<br />
<br />
Important lawmakers should, in our democratic society, be exercised by people selected in a democratic manner.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, this does not have to mean electing judges. That sort of direct democracy is not as good for judges as the indirect democracy of having the executive and legislative branches select the judicial branch, as we do for federal judges with senate confirmation. In fourteen states (listed below), the governor's judicial nominees to the highest court are confirmed by the senate, whole legislature, or other popularly-elected officials. This is the usual method of "democratic appointment" I support.<br />
<br />
But suppose the governor must pick from a commission's finalists before sending the governor's pick to the senate for confirmation? That three-step process (commission to governor to legislature) is how <a href="http://www.judicialselection.us/judicial_selection/index.cfm?state=UT" target="_blank">Utah judges</a> are selected.<br />
<br />
This is still "democratic appointment" if the commission is selected in a democratically-legitimate way, as opposed to having commissioners selected by the bar. Fortunately, 4 of the 7 members of the Utah <a href="https://codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-78a-judiciary-and-judicial-administration/ut-code-sect-78a-10-202.html" target="_blank">Appellate Nominating Commission</a> are selected in a democratically-legitimate way--by the governor. Two more the governor also gets to appoint but only from a list of nominees submitted by the Utah State Bar. The chief justice appoints another member of the Utah Judicial Council to serve as a nonvoting member of each commission.<br />
<br />
So Utah does give the bar a formal role it should not have w/r/t 2 of the 7 commissioners. But that's far from the states that allow the bar to pick (not merely suggest names to the governor) about half the commission. And I wonder whether Utah governors ever reject the bar's suggestions as <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/editorials/fl-op-edit-desantis-judges-20190814-tfpq5h5cbfextaragehnlcpji4-story.html" target="_blank">occurs in Florida</a>, which has a similar system?<br />
<br />
Utah calls its system "merit selection" and its constitution says "Selection of judges shall be based solely upon consideration of fitness for office without regard to any partisan political consideration."<br />
Yet it nevertheless manages to be (almost completely?) democratically legitimate. Good for Utah.<br />
<br />
The 16 states that select their high courts with a democratic method of appointment are:<br />
<br />
California<br />
Connecticut<br />
Delaware<br />
Hawaii<br />
Maine<br />
Maryland<br />
Massachusetts<br />
New Hampshire<br />
New Jersey<br />
New York<br />
Rhode Island<br />
South Carolina<br />
Tennessee<br />
Utah<br />
Vermont<br />
Virginia<br />
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-85232231811951199842020-02-05T12:32:00.002-08:002020-02-05T12:32:57.278-08:00Voting in Judicial Retention Elections<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/law-and-social-inquiry/article/voter-response-to-salient-judicial-decisions-in-retention-elections/354845B8CACB64851FF7FB74E54DE384#fndtn-information" target="_blank">Voter Response to Salient Judicial Decisions in Retention Elections</a> is an interesting article by Yale Professor <a href="https://www.allisonpharris.com/" target="_blank">Allison P. Harris</a>. Among its points:<br />
<br />
"Appointed judges are generally accountable to whichever branch of government (executive or legislative) they rely on for appointment and reappointment. Citizens can hold elected judges accountable with their votes. However, most of the factors driving voter participation in judicial elections are associated with partisan and competitive, rather than retention, elections.<br />
Nonpartisan uncontested judicial retention elections occur in many states for a variety of types of courts.<br />
However, they are especially common in states, like Iowa, that have adopted the Missouri Plan, also referred to as merit selection, for the selection and retention of judges."<br />
<br />
"High-profile campaigns against judges running for retention, like the one in Iowa in 2010, are not the norm, and most campaigns will not achieve their goal of removing judges from the bench. But justice removal is not the only reason we should be interested in campaigns against retention and shifts in retention race results. If voters are the only ones who can punish or reward Missouri Plan judges after appointment, then it is important to understand the factors related to shifts in participation in these races. The results of analyses presented in this article suggest that we need to take greater care in evaluating the extent to which judges who run in retention elections are independent from voters. Voters do respond to salient decisions and mobilization in retention races. Even if the judges running in these elections are ultimately retained because more of the voters cast yes votes than no votes, they are not as independent from voters as opponents of retention elections often argue."<br />
<br />
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-77912861253075653612019-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:002019-12-17T15:37:11.727-08:00The Politics of Kansas Supreme Court Selection and the Bar's Weak Argument about Judicial IndependenceKansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, appointed Judge Evelyn Wilson to the Kansas Supreme Court. "The state’s leading anti-abortion group, Kansans for Life, had called Wilson’s nomination 'purely political',” according to the <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article238423143.html" target="_blank">Wichita Eagle</a>, which noted the KFL "highlighted past contributions her husband made to politicians supportive of abortion rights, including Kelly and former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius."<br />
<br />
Another retirement on the court, means "Kelly, who is about to finish her first year in office, will have already made a greater imprint on the court than the last two Republican governors, who served a combined eight years in office."<br />
<br />
Republican legislators "plan to push next year for an amendment to the state constitution to eliminate the nominating commission and have justices named by the governor subject to Senate confirmation", notes <a href="https://apnews.com/cee0a93ae2dd64cf87dae4070b2fb41d" target="_blank">AP's John Hanna</a>, who adds: "Conservatives argue that the current system, in use since 1960, results in a court more liberal than the electorate and makes justices less accountable to voters. Supporters of the system contend it preserves judicial independence."<br />
<br />
In fact, however, judicial independence relates more to judicial retention rather than initial judicial selection. For instance, federal judges are initially selected through senate confirmation and have life tenure, giving them tremendous independence. To the extent initial selection relates to judicial independence, the current Kansas system reduces judicial independence on the bar, by giving the bar power that belongs to elected officials in many states, as well in the selection of federal judges. More on judicial independence at p. 751 n.2, 769-74 of <a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2013/11/state-supreme-court-selection-around.html" target="_blank">my article</a> linked here.Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-70143160564756978152019-10-30T10:29:00.000-07:002019-10-30T11:59:47.082-07:00US Supreme Court asked to Rule on State Judiciary Political-Balance Requirement<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://delcode.delaware.gov/constitution/constitution-05.shtml#P458_64879" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">Delaware's Constitution, Art. 4, sect. 3, says</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"> "three of the five Justices of the Supreme Court in office at the same time, shall be of one major political party, and two of said Justices shall be of the other major political party." This political balance requirement, the Third Circuit <a href="https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/181045p.pdf" target="_blank">held</a> in Adams v. Governor of Delaware, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">is unconstitutional under the freedom of political association guaranteed in the </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First Amendment</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> to the U.S. Constitution. The Governor of Delaware has <a href="https://static.reuters.com/resources/media/editorial/20190905/delawarevadams--certpetition.pdf" target="_blank">asked</a> the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">In Adams, "</span>the 3rd Circuit split with the 6th and 7th Circuits, as well as several trial courts, when it concluded that appointing authorities cannot consider the political affiliations of judicial candidates", </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alison Frankel </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-otc-delaware/delaware-asks-supreme-court-to-review-its-bipartisan-judge-picking-process-idUSKCN1VQ2MH" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">notes</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Adams</i> explained that "</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1897, Delaware was unique in its method of judicial </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">selection—it was the only state in the country in which the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">governor appointed judges without legislative involvement." But in that year, Delaware added senate confirmation and implemented an earlier version the political-balance requirement. Then "</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1951, as part of a wider series of </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">structural changes to the Delaware judiciary, the provision was </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">modified to exclude third party and unaffiliated voters from </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">applying to serve as judges on the Supreme Court, Superior </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Court, and Chancery Court in Delaware.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">" </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In holding this political-balance requirement unconstitutional, Adams summarized Supreme Court precedent:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In Elrod v. Burns, Justice Brennan, writing for the</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">plurality, recognized that the practice of patronage</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">dismissals—dismissing a civil servant because his political</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">affiliation differed from the political party in power—is “inimical to the process which undergirds our system of</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">government and is at war with the deeper traditions of</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">democracy embodied in the First Amendment.” </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">explained that to justify terminating a public employee based </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">on political allegiance, the government must show that the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">practice “further[s] some vital government end"...</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The plurality </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">suggested that the government’s interest in employee loyalty </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">would allow it to discharge employees in policymaking </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">positions based on political allegiance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">In </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Branti v. Finkel, the Court stated that “if </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">an employee’s private political beliefs would interfere with the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">discharge of his public duties, his First Amendment rights may </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">be required to yield to the State’s vital interest in maintaining </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">governmental effectiveness and efficiency.”</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> The Court, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">however, moved away from Elrod</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">’s policymaking distinction </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and held that “the ultimate inquiry is not whether the label </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">‘policymaker’ or ‘confidential’ fits a particular position; rather, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">the question is whether the hiring authority can demonstrate </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">that party affiliation is an appropriate requirement for the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">effective performance of the public office involved.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">In Rutan, the Court confirmed that the general </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">prohibition on politically-motivated discharge also applies to </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">decisions to promote, transfer, or hire an employee. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">“Unless </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">these patronage practices are narrowly tailored to further vital </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">government interests, we must conclude that they </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">impermissibly encroach on First Amendment freedoms.” </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Governor of Delaware sets forth two arguments to </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">justify his practice of requiring applicants for judicial positions </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to be Democrats or Republicans: first, the Governor argues </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">that because judges are policymakers, they can be hired or fired </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">based on their political affiliation without restraint, and second, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">the Governor argues that even if they are not policymakers, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Delaware has an interest in political balance that justifies the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">restrictions set forth in Article IV, Section 3.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">In our cases applying Branti, Elrod, and Rutan, the Third Circuit has found that political affiliation is an appropriate requirement for</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"> assistant district attorneys,</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"> a city </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">manager, and others. But Adams </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">concluded "that a judicial </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">officer, whether appointed or elected, is not a policymaker."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">The American Bar Association’s Model Code of </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Judicial Conduct instructs judges to promote “independence” </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and “impartiality,” not loyalty. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It also asks judges to refrain </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">from political or campaign activity. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Delaware Code of </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Judicial Conduct similarly makes clear that judges must be </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“unswayed by partisan interests” and avoid partisan political </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">activity. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Delaware Supreme Court has stated that </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Delaware judges “must take the law as they find it, and their </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">personal predilections as to what the law should be have no </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">place in efforts to override properly stated legislative will.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Governor argues that by interpreting statutes, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">sentencing criminal defendants, and crafting the common law, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">judges in Delaware make policy and exercise significant </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">discretion. But the question before us is not whether judges </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">make policy, it is whether they make policies that necessarily </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">reflect the political will and partisan goals of the party in </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">power. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Independence, not political allegiance, is required of Delaware </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">judges. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">To the extent that Delaware judges create policy, they</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">do so by deciding individual cases and controversies before</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">them, not by creating partisan agendas that reflect the interests </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">of the parties to which they belong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We are aware that two of our sister Circuits have</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">concluded otherwise. In Kurowski v. Krajewski, the Seventh</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Circuit determined that the guiding question in political</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">affiliation cases was “whether there may be genuine debate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">about how best to carry out the duties of the office in question, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">and a corresponding need for an employee committed to the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">objectives of the reigning faction,” and answered that question </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">in the affirmative with respect to judges and judges pro </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">tempore. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">In Newman v. Voinovich, the Sixth Circuit similarly </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">concluded that judges were policymakers who could be </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">appointed on the basis of their partisan affiliation.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For decades, Delaware governors have issued <a href="https://governor.delaware.gov/executive-orders/eo16/" target="_blank">executive orders</a> establishing or continuing Judicial Nominating Commissions to assist the Governor regarding all appointments of judges. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Adams says "</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eleven of the twelve commission </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">members are appointment by the Governor, and the twelfth is </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">appointed by the president of the Delaware State Bar </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Association with the consent of the Governor. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">commission provides a list of three recommended candidates </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">to the Governor. The Governor is not free to ignore the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">commission’s recommendations; if he is not satisfied with the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">list, the commission generates another list of candidates.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">nominating commission is politically balanced and comprised </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">of both lawyers and non-lawyers."</span>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66045, USA38.9499492 -95.265831838.9252532 -95.3061723 38.9746452 -95.2254913tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-10805499767013785812019-10-14T18:29:00.002-07:002019-10-14T18:29:28.252-07:00Iowa Supreme Court Selection<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">Iowa is one of a few states that privilege lawyers in judicial selection by allowing the bar to select members of the judicial nominating commission that narrows down the pool of applicants to three from which the governor must pick one. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">Until 2019, the bar and governor each selected 8 commissioners with the 17th a sitting state Supreme Court justice. The <a href="https://knowledgecenter.csg.org/kc/content/iowa-governor-gets-more-power-over-selection-supreme-court-judges" target="_blank">2019 law</a> takes away the sitting justice's place and replaces with another commissioner selected by the governor.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.apnews.com/cf2b0a28c3794cf8a3be4cb404dea984" target="_blank">Lawsuits</a> challenging this change have thus far not succeeded.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;">More on </span><a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/search/label/Iowa" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Iowa judicial selection</a></span>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-57715868348531920592019-08-04T08:46:00.000-07:002019-08-04T08:46:19.949-07:00Women and People of Color on State Supreme Courts<a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/expert/laila-robbins" target="_blank">Laila Robbins</a> and <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/expert/alicia-bannon" target="_blank">Alicia Bannon</a> of the progressive Brennan Center find:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"people of color have consistently made up a higher proportion of appointed, as compared with elected, first-time supreme court justices. Incumbent justices of color have also is proportionately</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">been challenged and lost elections once on the bench, as compared with incumbent white justices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By contrast, by most measures, women have fared similarly under both elective and appointive methods"</span><br />
<br />
Their <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/state-supreme-court-diversity" target="_blank">full paper</a> is available free of chargeStephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-44799071165427397022019-06-08T13:34:00.000-07:002019-06-08T13:34:05.778-07:00Pennsylvania Judicial ElectionsPennsylvania now elects judges on a statewide ballot, the legislature is considering electing them by district instead, the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/john-baer-courts-reform-diamond-legislature-20190514.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true" target="_blank">Philadelphia Inquirer</a> reports.<br />
<br />
Republicans hold majorities in the legislature and, <a href="https://twitter.com/jbaernews" target="_blank">@jbaernews</a> writes, "Republican leaders were, and likely remain, apoplectic about the Democratic-controlled state Supreme Court, which in 2018 ruled legislatively drawn congressional districts unconstitutional and replaced them with new districts, which helped add more Democrats to the U.S. House."<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0196" target="_blank">bill</a> is opposed by the Pennsylvania <a href="http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=9269" target="_blank">AFL-CIO</a>Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-88409983646767195752019-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:002019-04-26T10:57:06.989-07:00SCOTUS Politics With VideoRecent judicial confirmations have laid bare the political divisions present in the nation’s highest court. In the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board’s spring program, two experts on judicial confirmation, law and legal institutions examine politicization of the Supreme Court. Joining the conversation are <a href="http://epstein.wustl.edu/" target="_blank">Lee Epstein</a>, Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University, and<a href="https://law.ku.edu/faculty/stephen-ware" target="_blank"> Stephen Ware</a>, KU professor of law.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mnj7AFkfzqs/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mnj7AFkfzqs?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-80865329008979234802019-04-18T09:49:00.000-07:002019-04-18T09:49:30.826-07:00Election of 19 African American Female Judges in TexasThe election of 19 African American female judges in Harris County, Texas, is the subject of a <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a27132072/harris-county-texas-black-female-judges-historic-election/" target="_blank">story</a> in Marie Claire. It says the population of Harris County, which includes Houston, is 43% Hispanic, 20% black, and 30% white. The November election increased the number of black female judges from eight to 25 of the 75 elected judgeships.Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com1Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-63354669670084968382019-04-03T14:56:00.000-07:002019-04-03T14:56:49.809-07:00New Book on Judicial "Merit Selection" Nominating Commissions "Judicial Merit Selection: Institutional Design and Performance for State Courts" is a new <a href="http://tupress.temple.edu/book/20000000009889" target="_blank">book</a> by <a href="https://politicalscience.usu.edu/directory/faculty/goelzhauser-greg" target="_blank">Greg Goelzhauser</a>, a Political Science Professor at Utah State University.<br />
<br />
The publisher, Temple University Press writes: "In Judicial Merit Selection, Greg Goelzhauser amasses a wealth of data to examine merit selection’s institutional performance from an internal perspective. While his previous book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-State-Supreme-Court-Justices/dp/1439913404" target="_blank">Choosing State Supreme Court Justices</a>, compares outcomes across selection mechanisms, here he delves into what makes merit selection unique—its use of nominating commissions to winnow applicants prior to gubernatorial appointment."Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com7Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-26975488064890482962019-03-27T15:45:00.000-07:002019-03-27T15:45:38.622-07:00Senate Confirmation of State Judicial Nominees: Significant Impact?In 2013, Kansas changed its Court of Appeals selection process to include state senate confirmation of the governor's nominee--a reform that may have just had a significant impact.<br />
<br />
On March 15, 2019, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-nominates-judge-jeffry-jack-to-kansas-court-of-appeals/" target="_blank">nominated</a> District Judge Jeffry Jack to the Court of Appeals. However, a few days later, Gov. Kelly withdrew her nomination after tweets surfaced that showed Judge Jack "voicing his disdain for conservative leaders and Republican lawmakers in sometimes coarse, profane language" according to the <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article228087734.html" target="_blank">Kansas City Star</a>, which reports they "sometimes include F-bombs."<br />
<br />
The Star also notes "In a statement regarding her appointment of the judge, Kelly said Jack was chosen from a list of finalists recommended by a committee of lawyers and non-lawyers, and that the choice was based on merit."<br />
<br />
In nominating Judge Jack, Governor Kelly <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-nominates-judge-jeffry-jack-to-kansas-court-of-appeals/" target="_blank">said</a>: “Because I value transparency and the judicial merit-selection process, one of my first acts after my election was to create a committee of knowledgeable lawyers and non-lawyers to recommend finalists for the Court of Appeals vacancy...That committee ensured that our next Court of Appeals judge would be selected through an open process based on merit, and I thank the members of nominating committee for their work.”<br />
<br />
Under the headline "<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article228176734.html" target="_blank">After Judge Jack fiasco, legislators call for more oversight of court nominations</a>", the Kansas City Star notes that: "One day after Gov. Laura Kelly withdrew his nomination to the state Court of Appeals, Republican lawmakers are pushing to remove Judge Jeffry Jack from his seat on the 11th District Court, and to mandate Senate confirmation of Supreme Court judges."<br />
<br />
The Kansas Supreme Court is now chosen through a nominating commission, most of which is selected by the bar. The commission gives three names to the governor, who chooses the final candidate, without senate confirmation.<br />
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-28855682741726245222019-02-17T15:20:00.000-08:002019-02-17T15:37:55.798-08:00Governor Supports Removing Bar Power From Iowa's Judicial SelectionIowa is one of a few states that privilege lawyers in judicial selection by allowing the bar to select members of the judicial nominating commission. This undemocratic violation of the one-person-one-vote principle is criticized by me in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_CSSUhlaP8&t=1376s" target="_blank">video</a> focused on Iowa, and in this <a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/2013/11/state-supreme-court-selection-around.html" target="_blank">national article</a> (linked).<br />
<br />
Fortunately, a <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=HSB110" target="_blank">bill</a> to remove this bar favoritism has been introduced in Iowa. The bill would allow democratically elected officials to select members of the judicial nominating commission. Gov. Kim Reynolds <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/04/iowa-judges-appointed-politics-republicans-legislation-lawmakers-capitol-governor/2766602002/" target="_blank">supports</a> the bill.<br />
<br />
Thoughtful <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/02/06/iowa-should-let-lawmakers-not-lawyers-pick-judges-judicial-selection-legislature-kim-reynolds-courts/2794396002/" target="_blank">commentary</a> by Vanderbilt Law Professor Brian Fitzpatrick<br />
<br />
More on <a href="http://stephenwarekukansasjudicialselection.blogspot.com/search/label/Iowa" target="_blank">Iowa judicial selection</a><br />
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-64983898042144440412019-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:002019-01-26T12:00:35.964-08:00Florida Supreme Court Appointments More ConservativeNew Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, named Barbara Lagoa to the Florida Supreme Court. Lagoa is the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article224069530.html" target="_blank">first</a> Cuban-American woman to serve on Miami’s appeals court and will be the first Latina on the Florida Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
Gov. DeSantis also appointed to the state supreme court, Judge Robert Luck, "the first Jewish justice appointed in over 20 years", according to the The <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article224493345.html" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>.<br />
<br />
The Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article224069530.html" target="_blank">explains</a> that these appointments will likely make the court more conservative as "The Republican governor ... is replacing three retiring Supreme Court justices: Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who often sided on liberal issues and against the Republican-controlled Legislature."Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-50477015428439395472019-01-09T14:56:00.001-08:002019-01-09T14:56:19.459-08:00Judicial Campaign Contributions and SpendingA new <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3300772" target="_blank">article</a> by University of Washington Law Professor <a href="https://www.law.uw.edu/directory/spitzer-hugh" target="_blank">Hugh D. Spitzer</a> and Philip Talmadge "reviews empirical research by political scientists who have documented the effect of large campaign donations on how judges decide cases and on the public’s perception of court impartiality."<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3300772" target="_blank">article</a>, "then proposes a number of actions that state courts and legislatures could take to control judicial campaign spending. First, we recommend that in jurisdictions with inadequate statutory judicial campaign controls, state supreme courts should act forcefully to impose strict caps on both direct and coordinated contributions to judicial campaigns, using the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 4.4(B)(1). Second, we suggest that state codes of judicial conduct should integrate the parallel mandatory disqualification mechanism in the ABA’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 2.11(A). Next, we contend that legislatures have sufficient cause under a strict scrutiny test to protect judicial impartiality and the appearance of impartiality by limiting total judicial campaign committee expenditures and controlling independent expenditures by outside groups. Further, we assert that if legislatures fail to act, the courts themselves have sufficient inherent authority to impose those expenditure limits. Finally, we urge states to adopt public funding systems for judicial campaigns, and we argue that the need for judicial impartiality should provide legislatures with sufficient cause to adopt restrictions that would not be constitutionally acceptable in non-judicial campaigns."Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-8323085014951860122018-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:002018-12-14T08:30:14.460-08:00Judicial Selection is Senate GOP Leader's "Most Significant, Long-Term Contribution" Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/newstalk590wvlk/sen-mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank">called</a> judge confirmations “the most significant, long-term contribution we are making to the country”.<br />
<br />
The NY Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/11/us/politics/republicans-judges-confirmation-votes.html?emc=edit_th_181212&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=391908421212" target="_blank">writes</a> that while some nominations are controversial in "other cases, the nominees have carried vaunted résumés and commendations from their home-state senators, and in the spirit of bipartisanship, several of the district court nominees were first selected by President Barack Obama. For the most part, those nominees have passed through the Senate (though often along party-line votes) with the ministerial ease once expected for judicial confirmations."<br />
<br />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0Lawrence, KS 66049, USA38.9684867 -95.37301760000002638.7710052 -95.695741100000021 39.1659682 -95.050294100000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-4671489535826087212018-11-20T12:25:00.000-08:002018-11-20T12:25:18.636-08:00Trump Confirmed Record 29 Federal Appeals Judges in First 2 YearsFrom Richard Wolf of <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/19/donald-trumps-judges-making-courts-more-conservative-slowly/2005281002/" target="_blank">USA Today</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2018/11/18/USATODAY/USATODAY/636781431949215927-111718-Trump-judges-ONLINE.png" />Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-36645545156623958342018-11-01T09:10:00.001-07:002018-11-01T09:10:35.140-07:00Reforming SCOTUS For Ideological BalanceAs decisions by — and appointments to — the Supreme Court have become increasingly divisive, several reformers suggest replacing justices' life tenure with non-renewable terms of 18 years, such that one term ends every two years. That way, as Nevada Law Professor <a href="https://law.unlv.edu/faculty/david-orentlicher" target="_blank">David Orentlicher</a> <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3257780" target="_blank">explains</a>, "less would be at stake with each nomination, justices could not time their retirements for partisan reasons, and appointments would be divided more evenly between Democratic and Republican presidents."<br />
<br />
Orentlicher says "There is a sound argument to be made that Supreme Court reform is constitutionally required. In particular, principles of due process and the framers’ original intent provide good reason to think that neither a conservative nor liberal Court majority should be able to impose its views on the country."<br />
<br />
While I doubt such reform is constitutionally required, Orentlicher <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3257780" target="_blank">notes</a> interesting European examples:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"In Germany, for example, nominees to the Constitutional Court must receive a two-thirds vote of approval and therefore must appeal to legislators on both sides of the partisan aisle."</li>
<li>"In many European nations, high court decisions are made by consensus, or at least a supermajority vote, so justices on both sides of the ideological spectrum have to support the courts’ opinions. The U.S. Supreme Court itself observed a norm of consensual decisionmaking for most of its history. Until 1941, the justices typically spoke unanimously. Only about 8 percent of cases included a dissenting opinion. Now, one or more justices dissent in about 60 percent of rulings."</li>
</ul>
Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176236955928598424.post-79662128584129932232018-10-18T09:47:00.000-07:002018-10-18T09:50:01.458-07:00Republicans "Take Democrats' Lunch Money" on Post-Kavanaugh Judicial SelectionLiberal advocacy group Demand Justice <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/us/politics/senate-republicans-judges.html?emc=edit_th_181018&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=391908421018" target="_blank">charges</a> Democrats “didn’t just get stuffed in a locker here; they had their lunch money taken,” in failing to delay confirmation hearings for lower federal courts. Good response that Dems secured an agreement to prevent confirmation of judges before the election but lack the power to prevent confirmation hearings now, and thus actual confirmations during the lame-duck session after election.<br />
<br />
One of the judicial nominees, <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/even-without-democrats-trump-judicial-nominee-gets-tough-questions" target="_blank">Allison Rushing</a>, is 36 years old, and 11 years out of law school.Stephen Warehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05262563545969388756noreply@blogger.com1