Category Archives: judicial elections

“Well-financed foes give Michigan Supreme Court justices a fight”

November 2, 2018, 8:05 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Detroit News: The campaign was roiled in early August when the state’s high court ruled 4-3 to let Proposal 2 on the Nov. 6 ballot, despite arguments from Republican officials and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce that it would change… Continue reading

“Brennan Center Urges States to Abolish Elections for State Supreme Court Justices”

October 11, 2018, 7:25 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Release: The U.S. Supreme Court isn’t the only institution roiled by a highly politicized judicial selection process. In a new report, the Brennan Center calls for reform to state supreme courts, where high-cost elections have become the norm.… Continue reading

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Claims She Faced “Bullying” Over Her Vote to Keep Redistricting Measure on Ballot

September 25, 2018, 7:18 amjudicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

Unusual story in the Detroit News: Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Clement said she faced “bullying and intimidation” while deliberating a case that paved the way for a redistricting proposal to go on the November ballot. Clement, a Gov. Rick… Continue reading

“Behind $250 million State Farm settlement, a wild tale of dark money in judicial elections”

September 6, 2018, 7:38 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Reuters: The biggest difference between a John Grisham novel and the allegations in a racketeering class action State Farm settled Tuesday for $250 million is that Grisham would have had the insurance company buy off a state Supreme Court candidate… Continue reading

Michigan: “Clement criticized for redistricting decision, still earns Supreme Court nomination”

August 26, 2018, 8:46 pmjudicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

M Live: Supreme Court Justices Beth Clement and Kurtis Wilder were formally nominated by the Michigan Republican Party to run for reelection, despite organized opposition to Clement’s record on the state’s highest court. Both Wilder and Clement were appointed by… Continue reading

“West Virginia’s high court corruption just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big money’s judicial influence”

August 16, 2018, 2:28 pmchicanery, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Jame Sample for NBC Think: In West Virginia, Justice Robin Davis spent an absurd $500,278.23 in taxpayer dollars on renovating her office alone. Mind you, Davis is the same jurist who, through her husband, sold a $1.3 million Lear … Continue reading

“West Virginia’s efforts to impeach the state’s Supreme Court are just the latest in a worrisome trend”

August 15, 2018, 7:29 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

Lots of Drama in West Virginia Over State Supreme Court Justices; Was Impeachment Timing Way for Republicans to Avoid Holding Election For Judicial Replacements?

August 14, 2018, 7:46 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

See this thread: This is a BFD. The GOP-controlled legislature dragged its feet forvmonths on impeaching these justices to prevent their replacement by voters via special elections this fall. Missing today's deadline lets Republican Gov. Jim Justice appoint their replacements.… Continue reading

“Why one NC GOP official calls Republican Supreme Court candidate ‘the enemy'”

July 4, 2018, 9:41 pmchicanery, judicial electionsRick Hasen

News and Observer: North Carolina Republicans are crying foul over a candidate who could change the balance of the state Supreme Court. And that candidate is a Republican. Raleigh attorney Chris Anglin filed at the last minute last week. He… Continue reading

Unanimous Sixth Circuit Upholds Six Ohio Judicial Candidate Speech/Conduct Rules Against First Amendment Challenge [corrected title]

June 25, 2018, 10:41 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Today’s opinion in Platt v. Board of Commissioners continues the trend since the Supreme Court’s Williams-Yulee case upholding a number of judicial speech and conduct rules (more about that coming in the 2018 Election Law casebook supplement). The provisions… Continue reading

“Judge rules for lawmakers: No primary elections for NC judges”

June 19, 2018, 7:51 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

News and Observer: In the first year in decades that all judicial races will be partisan races, North Carolina will not have primary elections that allow the political parties to winnow the names of candidates who will appear on ballots… Continue reading

“Bid to recall Judge Aaron Persky appears successful in Santa Clara County”

June 5, 2018, 9:48 pmjudicial elections, recall electionsRick Hasen

SF Chronicle reports. First CA judge to be recalled since 1932.

Partisan Gerrymandering of Judicial Election Districts Coming to North Carolina?

May 30, 2018, 8:50 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

This can’t be good. The way Mecklenburg County voters choose judges would change dramatically under a bill that passed the North Carolina Senate Wednesday and appears to be moving quickly through the General Assembly. The county’s eight Superior Court judges,… Continue reading

“The Agnostic’s Guide to Judicial Selection”

May 15, 2018, 10:12 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

James Sample, who does some of the best legal work on judicial selection mechanisms, has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming Depaul Law Review). Here is the abstract: The vast majority of judicial selection discussions, whether in academia, on the… Continue reading

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