Category Archives: judicial elections

Two on Nasty Judicial Election in Ohio

October 31, 2014, 9:47 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Columbus Dispatch: “An Ohio State Bar Association committee claims Democrat John P. O’Donnell has crossed the line with a TV commercial attack on his opponent, Republican Justice Judith L. French. O’Donnell’s first TV ad attempts to link French’s acceptance… Continue reading

“Campaign Spending On State Judicial Elections”

October 29, 2014, 3:01 pmcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Today’s Diane Rehm show.

“Is Your Judge for Sale?”

October 28, 2014, 8:49 amcampaign finance, campaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Andy Kroll for Mother Jones.

“A Kansas Group’s Push to Oust Judges Reveals a Gap in Campaign Finance Rules”

October 28, 2014, 8:15 amcampaign finance, campaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

ProPublica reports.

“Are Our Courts for Sale?”

October 27, 2014, 9:04 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Joe Nocera NYT column.

“Skewed Justice: Citizens United, Television Advertising and State Supreme Court Justices’ Decisions in Criminal Cases”

October 21, 2014, 10:22 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

New report from Joanna Shepherd and Michael Kang: The explosion in spending on television attack advertisements in state supreme court elections accelerated by the Citizens United decision has made courts less likely to rule in favor of defendants in criminal… Continue reading

We’ve Got a Supreme Court Ruling On a Temporary Pause…

October 17, 2014, 2:34 pmjudicial elections, political partiesJustin Levitt

… but not on the Texas ID case. Here, the Court denies an emergency injunction in French v. McLean, the case about Montana’s ban on partisan judicial endorsements.

“Courting Corruption: The Auctioning of the Judicial System”

October 17, 2014, 10:33 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsJustin Levitt

Norm Ornstein, in the Atlantic, on judicial elections and campaign finance after Citizens United.

Still Another Stay Application Heads to SCOTUS

October 14, 2014, 6:13 pmjudicial elections, Supreme CourtJustin Levitt

No, it’s not from the 5th Circuit’s ID decision. (Not just yet, anyway.) It’s from French v. McLean, the case challenging Montana’s ban on partisan judicial endorsements. On October 1, the federal trial court denied a preliminary injunction… Continue reading

November Conference on Judicial Recusal

October 14, 2014, 1:59 pmjudicial electionsJustin Levitt

The NYU Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, the Brennan Center, and the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility are one month out from a great-looking symposium on judicial recusal after Caperton. Looks like a wonderful lineup, including academics, advocates, and… Continue reading

Outside Money Drives Judges to Campaign Harder

October 14, 2014, 1:15 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsJustin Levitt

The Wall St. Journal reports on an apparent increase in judicial electioneering, in response to outside spending.

More Stuff Struck Down: Marion County Judicial Election System Invalidated

October 10, 2014, 12:48 amjudicial elections, UncategorizedJustin Levitt

Also on Thursday, a federal court invalidated the system for electing judges in Marion County, Indiana. It’s an odd (and, says the court, likely unique) system: a party may nominate candidates for no more than half of the available judicial… Continue reading