--- Joelle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: "...we definately need to work to make contested judicial races more common..."
I suppose if you are going to have elected judges it would make sense to have the elections contested. However, I'm not at all sure that electing judges is a good idea in the first place. The federal system of appointing judges for lifetime terms (perhaps reappointments every 10 years or so might be an improvement) has its merits. Requiring judges to pander to the latest whims of the electorate raises problems for me. The appointment method has its problems too; cronyism being one of them. It's not an easy problem but, on balance, I think the appointment system (with confirmation by the legislature) is the better way to go if we want an independent judiciary. Charles Swope Ward 1 _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
