Category Archives: judicial elections

“Prosecutors ask U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Doe decision”

April 28, 2016, 10:54 amcampaign finance, judicial elections, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision by Wisconsin’s high court to shut down an investigation of Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and conservative groups backing him. Chisholm and… Continue reading

“Did Act 10 affect spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court race?”

April 11, 2016, 7:41 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Jason Stein for the Journal-Sentinel: In Tuesday’s election, labor-backed candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg lost a race for the Supreme Court in which her side in the contest was badly outspent. The Greater Wisconsin Committee, the liberal group backing Kloppenburg, spent less… Continue reading

“Rebecca Bradley beats JoAnne Kloppenburg in high court race”

April 6, 2016, 7:22 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley was elected to a 10-year term Tuesday, overcoming a challenge from Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg and keeping the job Gov. Scott Walker appointed her to in the fall. Boosted by heavy… Continue reading

“Outraged by Kansas Justices’ Rulings, G.O.P. Seeks to Reshape Court”

April 1, 2016, 4:16 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Must-read Erik Eckholm NYT: Partisan conflict over courts has erupted in many of the 38 states where justices are either directly elected or, as in Kansas, face periodic retention elections, without an opposing candidate. As conservatives in Washington attempt to… Continue reading

“A Feisty Jewish Judge Fights Her Way Through a Bitter Race in Wisconsin”

March 30, 2016, 2:55 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

The Forward on JoAnne Kloppenburg.

“Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Kloppenburg signal political leanings”

March 28, 2016, 8:16 pmcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The candidates for state Supreme Court are largely mum about their views on key cases, but they have given clear signs showing incumbent Rebecca Bradley lines up with conservatives and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg with liberals. Bradley has repeatedly… Continue reading

“Philip Morris to SCOTUS: Don’t revisit corporate money in judicial elections”

March 28, 2016, 3:58 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Alison Frankel for Reuters: If the Supreme Court is interested in revisiting the issue of campaign contributions and the appearance of judicial bias, it has a vehicle. In January, Illinois state court class action plaintiffs who won a $10 billion… Continue reading

NC Justice Recused in Case Involving His Own Reelection

March 17, 2016, 4:34 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Here is the order via Michael Weisel. Here is my earlier coverage.

“JoAnne Kloppenburg stayed on case involving group that opposed her”

March 15, 2016, 8:44 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: In her two bids for the state Supreme Court, JoAnne Kloppenburg has criticized as too weak an ethics rule that says political spending on its own isn’t enough to force a judge off a case. But as an… Continue reading

“Symposium: ‘Courts, Campaigns, and Corruption: Judicial Recusal Five Years After Caperton'”

March 11, 2016, 4:12 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

NYU Journal of Legislation and Public Policy: Opening Remarks Wendy Weiser Caperton and the Courts: Did the Floodgates Open? Adam Liptak, Keith Swisher, James Sample & Bradley A. Smith The State of Recusal Reform Charles Geyh, Myles Lynk, Robert… Continue reading

NC Supreme Court to Consider Retention Elections for NC Supreme Court

March 11, 2016, 3:43 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Oral argument will be April 13. No indication in the oral argument order or on docket that the Justice whose seat is the subject of the appeal will be recused from hearing the case. My earlier coverage noted that this… Continue reading

Quote of the Day: “Man-Hating Lesbians” Edition

March 9, 2016, 11:26 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

“I intend to expose the feminist movement as largely composed of angry, militant, man-hating lesbians who abhor the traditional family” —Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, writing in 1992 as a college student.

“Rebecca Bradley ‘horribly embarrassed’ by anti-gay comments, Walker declines to condemn them”

March 9, 2016, 9:04 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Fox 6 Now reports.

Breaking: NC Court Blocks Retention Elections for NC Supreme Court

March 4, 2016, 3:52 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

You can find the short order of the unanimous three-judge court here. This order was expected. It appears the Republican legislature enacted this rule so that a sitting Justice would not face a competitive election in the fall.… Continue reading