Judicial Advertising
Judicial candidates, political parties, and interest groups have increasingly invested in television advertising to influence campaigns for the bench. During each election cycle since 2000, the Center has studied and published reports on the sources, costs, and content of those advertisements. We post video and storyboards of the ads, as well as weekly election-season press releases with analyses of the data and campaign commentary. We also analyzed television advertising about the nominees for U.S. Supreme Court in 2005.
Prior to the November 2010 election, the Brennan Center released real-time reports on television advertising in state Supreme Court elections. The 2010 reports continued the groundbreaking analysis first conducted in 2000 examining the sponsorship, content and costs of televised state Supreme Court campaign ads. Click here for more information.
Justice Brent Benjamin of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia refused to recuse himself from the appeal of a $50 million jury verdict in this case, even though the CEO of the lead defendant spent $3 million supporting his campaign. Did Benjamin’s failure to recuse violate the Due Process Clause?
In the Brennan Center's latest round up of last week's Fair Courts news, we focus on the a highly-contested judicial race in Wisconsin, a judicial reform plan in Florida, judicial appointment systems, and more.
One Week Later: What Happened in Wisconsin?
Although the results of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race are still not official, one thing is — this election set a new record for special interest spending on television ads in a Wisconsin judicial race, with five groups spending just under $3.6 million on ad buys before the election.
In the Brennan Center's latest round up of last week's Fair Courts news, we write on a campaign finance case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the ongoing battle for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, attacks on the judiciary, and more.
Illustrations by Risko
Outside Groups Dominate Spending in Judicial Elections, New Report Shows
Non-candidate spending in state high court elections nearly doubled as a share of total costs in 2009-10, compared to the previous off-year election, a new report shows.
Final Numbers: Special Interest Spending Near $3.6 Million in Wisconsin
A recount looms in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, but one thing is official — special interest groups set a new record, spending just under $3.6 million on television ads in the election, topping the previous record in Wisconsin of $3.38 million set in 2008.
Special Interest TV Spending Sets Record in Wisconsin
Special interest groups have spent more than $3.5 million on TV ads in this year’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election, breaking the state’s previous record for television spending by non-candidate groups, according to data released Tuesday by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Letter to Tennessee Supreme Court on Proposed Judicial Conduct Rules
The Brennan Center and Justice at Stake submitted comments to the Tennessee Supreme Court urging adoption of proposed new judicial conduct rules, including a recusal rule on campaign spending. The comments were based largely on a Brennan Center report on recusal reform after Caperton, which identified the Tennessee proposal as one of the two most promising in the country.
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Letter Responding to Indiana Right to Life
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard writes letter to Indiana Right to Life declining to answer its questionnaire.
Campaign Cash Finds Its Way to the Courtroom
Outside the realm of presidential politics there is a looming — and very serious — threat to our justice system. Despite all the attention focused on money in politics, few Americans know how much campaign cash is pouring into courts of law, and how it threatens to undermine equal justice for all.
Buying Time—2010: West Virginia
This page features West Virginia judicial ads of 2010.
This page reflects Washington judicial advertisements in 2010.