BREAKING: Ohio Supreme Court To Host Forum On Judicial Selection
Submitted by Bradley L. Cromes on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 12:33pm.
As long time readers of this blog realize, the cause of judicial reform in Ohio has long been a passion of mine. The rallying cry "Justice Requires Balance," and my assertion that a system of judicial appointment far better serves Ohio's citizens than our current elective model, apparently hasn't fallen on deaf ears.
According to a joint press release today from Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund, and the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Supreme Court will play host on November 19th and 20th to "A Forum on Judicial Selection: A Time for Action."
The event, headlined by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, will be moderated by former Ohio Attorney General (and Dean of the Ohio State Moritz College of Law) Nancy Hardin Rogers, and will make a vigorous case that utilizing the political process to elect judges unduly damages the cause of justice.
Choice quotes from the release:
“The time has come to do something to address the widespread perception that campaign contributions influence judicial decision making,” said Chief Justice Moyer. “Our goal is to determine whether to pursue a new selection method for Supreme Court Justices and to explore the various reforms that other states have implemented.”
“If the public believes that judges are not fair and impartial, then the integrity of the third branch is compromised, and this undermines the strength of our entire democratic system,” said Meg Flack, president of the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund.
Among the leaders who have indicated that they will participate either in person or through a representative are Gov. Ted Strickland, Ohio Senate President Bill Harris, Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish, Ohio Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro, and Ohio House Minority Leader Bill Batchelder.
We'll have more on this event as it develops, and will make every effort to attend and bring you live coverage of what could be a paradigm shift in the judicial and political landscape in our state.
I'll Wait By My Mail Box
You know as far back as 2004 I was campaigning on the theory that Justice IS for sale in Ohio...and being literally ignored by the mainstream press on my slogan of "Money And Judge Don't Mix". That was just before Chief Justice Moyer and his running mates spent over $5-million dollars to buy their seats on the high court. Gee, I wonder if the Chief and the Bar Association will be sending me an invitation to be a keynote speaker. Bill Oneill
One can only hope, Bill. * *
One can only hope, Bill.
* * *
Conservative? Liberal? Ohioan.
http://buckeyepunditeers.blogspot.com
Following the 2006 election,
I attended an interesting forum sponsored by one of the bar associations — I think Cuyahoga County — on the alternatives to the current method of judge selection that have been proposed or tried around the country. They had a presentation on video — he was supposed to come but got stuck in New York — by the reporter whose name escapes me from the New York Times who did that huge story on Terence O'Donnell before the election, pegging him as one of the country's most "bought" and corrupt judges, finding in favor of his campaign donots more than 90% of the time. And sadly, even after that horrible national publicity, the clown got re-elected.
I recall appointment in various permutations being discussed, along with publically financed campaigns and single, long terms (like 10 years) so that judges would not be raising money for re-election.