Justice for the Highest Bidder
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Source: Chicago Tribune
Date: November 21, 2011
An editorial in the Chicago Tribune looks at spending in supreme court elections in the context of the Illinois Supreme Court’s recent decision not to reopen a case in which litigants relied on the eye-popping fundraising figures in a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court election—as well as a 2010 Illinois retention election that was the most expensive in a generation. The editorial concludes with a call to adopt merit selection: “Astonishing amounts of money are being spent here and around the country on judicial races. That money's not seeking the best, most impartial courts. That money's trying to sway the courts in one direction or the other. We're not going to squeeze the money out of politics . . . [but if] we can't take money out of politics, we can try to take the judiciary out of politics. We need a system of judicial appointment with political checks and balances, a merit system.”