Judges: Elected or appointed? Which do you think is best?

[Matt Collins]

What do you think is best - state judges being appointed, or voted in? :confused:

Or what about judges being voted in by the legislature?


Thoughts? :confused::confused:

[torchbearer]

appointed. (but for fixed terms)
Judges are elected here and it leaves them vulnerable to bribes big time.
If you are rich and your son gets busted with a meth lab or caught killing his kids, just donate a huge amount of money to the judges campaign fund and the d.a.'s campaign fund and the sheriff's dept. and the charges are dropped.

[torchbearer]

I talked a lot to the judges here as a legal advocate for the battered women's shelter, they thought that the bar association of louisiana shouls appoint judges in rotation.
I couldn't see much wrong with such a system.

[Icymudpuppy]

I'm in favor of a civil service exam such as was the norm in Confucian Imperial China for Judges. They should be able to pass a test on constitutional law and the practical application thereof. Criminal Law and its practical application, and Civil Law and its practical application. The highest scores reach the highest levels. Reexamination should be done every 2 years for county/city level judges, every 6 years for state level, and every 12 years for federal level. Once you have been selected based on test score, you must be affirmed by elected representatives.

[torchbearer]

I'm in favor of a civil service exam such as was the norm in Confucian Imperial China for Judges. They should be able to pass a test on constitutional law and the practical application thereof. Criminal Law and its practical application, and Civil Law and its practical application. The highest scores reach the highest levels. Reexamination should be done every 2 years for county/city level judges, every 6 years for state level, and every 12 years for federal level. Once you have been selected based on test score, you must be affirmed by elected representatives.

who makes the test and by what criteria will they be judged?
the current congress' assessment of constitutionality isn't that same as ours.
A test seems inhuman and fair, but in reality, it is created by humans that very well include bias for the author's preference.

[BKV]

doesn't matter that much, either ignorant people elect them or corrupt representatives do.

perhaps randomly chosing would be better.

[torchbearer]

doesn't matter that much, either ignorant people elect them or corrupt representatives do.

perhaps randomly chosing would be better.

or their peers do, or they draw straws among the attorneys.
many ways to do it.
drawing straws may be good.