Gavel Grab

Supreme Court Decision on New York’s Election System

Roy Schotland January 16th, 2008 | Category: Judicial Selection Reform

Today’s Supreme Court decision unanimously reversing the lower courts and upholding New York’s system for selecting “Supreme Court” judges, is unfortunately no surprise.

Notable is Justice Kennedy’s concurrence, joined by Justice Breyer, going beyond the particular case to “comment upon the use of elections to select judges ….” and including this: “[T]he appropriate practical response is not to reject judicial elections outright but to find ways to use elections to select judges with the highest qualifications. A judicial election system presents the opportunity, indeed the civic obligation, for voters and the community as a whole to become engaged in the legal process…. The organized bar, the legal academy, public advocacy groups, a principled press, and all the other components of functioning democracy must engage in this process.”

Update:  For more analysis of today’s decision, go to the Brennan Center’s Blog on NY, ReformNY.

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4 Comments so far

  1. joe September 12th, 2009 4:44 am

    By putting efforts to improve safety of workers in our society, “Alan J.Gerson” has made a valuable service to the society..

    Check out his website..

    http://www.gerson2009.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpContent&htmlKey=issues&s=gerson

  2. gilberth September 12th, 2009 4:45 am

    gerson is great..i like him

  3. SAM September 13th, 2009 9:37 am

    The New York City Community election on Sept 15th and this time also we have ALAN J GERSON from Democrat standing from and for the people.Having done many reform works(www.gerson2009.com), I think he should continue for the peple as the best council member.
    Do vote for him for a growing Newyork.

  4. arnold September 13th, 2009 9:38 am

    i love democrtic party

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