Category Archives: judicial elections

Wisconsin Judicial Fight Escalates

April 15, 2012, 11:32 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

How Appealing: “‘Prosser asks two judges to drop out of ethics case’: Friday’s edition of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contained an article that begins, “State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser asked Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Justice Ann Walsh… Continue reading

“Super PACs, donors turn sights on judicial branch”

March 30, 2012, 7:54 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

WaPo offers this must-read, front page report. Highly predictable and entirely avoidable–all it would have taken is a footnote in Citizens United leaving open the question whether financing for judicial elections might be different.

En Banc Eighth Circuit Upholds Minnesota Judicial Election Restrictions [corrected headline]

March 27, 2012, 8:34 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

How Appealing: “Appeals court restores MN judicial election rules”: The Associated Press has a reportthat begins, “A deeply split federal appeals court restored Minnesota’s restrictions on fundraising and endorsements by judicial candidates on Tuesday, reversing an earlier decision… Continue reading

“Elected Judges and Statutory Interpretation”

March 21, 2012, 5:30 pmjudicial elections, statutory interpretationRick Hasen

Aaron-Andrew Bruhl and Ethan Leib have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, University of Chicago Law Review). Here is the abstract: Ths Article considers whether differences in methods of judicial selection should influence how judges approach statutory interpretation. Courts and… Continue reading

“The Dimensions of Judicial Impartiality”

March 21, 2012, 12:36 pmconflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Charles Geyh has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Scholars have traditionally analyzed judicial impartiality piecemeal, in disconnected debates on discrete topics. As a consequence, current understandings of judicial impartiality are balkanized and muddled. This article… Continue reading

“Retention Elections 2.010”

March 19, 2012, 7:48 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

James Sample has posted this draft on SSRN (part of a symposium at the University of San Francisco Law Review). Here is the abstract: Counter-historically, the highest profile judicial election campaigns of the first judicial elections cycle following the Supreme… Continue reading

“No Way to Choose a Judge”

March 16, 2012, 7:43 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

NYT editorial on the Ten Commandments judge.

“Wisconsin Supreme Court justices battle over recusing themselves”

March 11, 2012, 8:03 pmconflict of interest laws, ethics investigations, judicial electionsRick Hasen

The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism offers this report (via Howard).

“March 29 Symposium to Focus on State Judicial Elections in Post-Citizens United Landscape”

March 8, 2012, 3:30 pmcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

This event at William & Mary looks very good.

“Inside Merit Selection A National Survey of Judicial Nominating Commissioners”

March 8, 2012, 2:47 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

American Judicature Society: Summary The results of a survey of judicial nominating commissioners released by the American Judicature Society (AJS) examine current merit selection systems. The survey report finds judicial nominating commissions are highly functional decision-making bodies operating in… Continue reading

“Wisconsin judge who blocked photo ID law for April 3 vote signed petition to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker”

March 7, 2012, 10:06 amjudicial elections, recall electionsRick Hasen

AP reports. I find the judge’s signing of the recall petition troubling, even if it is not grounds for recusal in this case. The judge certainly has a right to vote, but this kind of public political activity can… Continue reading

“Candidate says Alabama Supreme Court rulings favor corporate interests”

March 4, 2012, 8:25 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

News from Alabama.

“Money in Judicial Politics: Individual Contributions and Collective Decisions”

February 29, 2012, 8:51 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Matias Iaryczower and Matthew Shum have posted this draft on SSRN: We study how campaign contributions affect the voting strategies and effectiveness of justices in the Supreme Court of eight US states. A judge’s voting strategy leans more heavily towards… Continue reading

“Why do you suppose Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sanjay Kumar has drawn an election challenge?”

February 25, 2012, 9:03 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Remember a few years ago when well-respected California judge Janavs drew a challenge and lost-likely because of her foreign-sounding name? Gov. Schwarzenegger then turned around and reappointed Janavs to an open seat, the right thing to do. Well it looks… Continue reading