The report, ‘Choosing State Judges: A Plan for Reform,’ urges states to abolish elections for state supreme court justices and instead adopt a transparent, publicly accountable appointment process. It also calls for the adoption of a lengthy single term for state supreme court justices, along with other reforms designed to rein in the role of money and politics in state courts.
“At a time when the broken process for confirming justices to the U.S. Supreme Court is in sharp focus, safeguarding state courts from inappropriate political pressure should be urgent business,” said Alicia Bannon, author of the report and deputy director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. “State judicial elections used to be subdued affairs. No more. They are now awash in outside cash, dark money, and special interests that threaten the independence of the judiciary. It’s time to do away with supreme court elections and move toward a more independent, more accountable process.”
