Judicial Selection in the States
Kansas moved ahead toward selecting a new state Supreme Court justice on Wednesday, while facing a federal lawsuit alleging that voters' rights are being violated...
Remember the infamous Lady Justice TV commercial portraying a justice peeking from under her blindfold to see bags of cash being dumped on her desk?
Voters in three area counties urged to retain judges in November
Missouri :: September 1, 2010 :: Kansas City Star
Missouri lawyers Wednesday urged voters in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties to retain all 26 judges on the November ballot.
In recent years, proposals have been introduced by legislators, governors, courts, and citizens' groups in nearly every state to limit the role of politics in the selection of state judges.
The extent of these activities underscores the recognition that an independent judiciary is essential to the maintenance of public trust and confidence in the court system.
The American Judicature Society, through funding from the Open Society Institute, has contributed to these efforts by compiling comprehensive information on judicial selection processes in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Topics covered include methods of selecting, retaining, and removing of judges; successful and unsuccessful reform efforts; the roles of parties, interest groups, and professional organizations in selecting judges; and the diversity of the bench.
- To view state-specific information, select a state from the drop-down menu in the upper right or from the map below.
- To view practices among states, select a topic on the left.