JudgesOnMerit: Why Perception Matters (Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts)

"JudgesOnMerit and other like-minded groups and coalitions across the country are working hard to spread the message that judges, particularly at the appellate level, should not be elected. Instead, we argue, for each vacancy, judicial candidates should be screened by a non-partisan citizen panel representing the diverse spectrum of interests in the community, which will then pass on a few names of highly qualified individuals from which the governor will nominate one.This nominee would be subject to Senate confirmation. The public would have input in the vetting process, and will have the ultimate say in retention elections, where, after 4 years in office, voters would decide whether the judge would serve on the bench for a full ten-year term.The primary reason for the impassioned calls to end appellate judicial elections is because the judiciary is different from the other branches of government." Click here to read more.