How could you think this was a good idea?

[theweaselking]

West Virginia mining company is sued. Judge rules in favour of plaintiffs.

Mining company says "aren't you up for re-election, Judge?" and dumps three million dollars into the judge's opponent's campaign, more than all other contributors combined.

New judge takes office and the mining company appeals, and refuses to recuse himself from the case. Verdict overturned.

US Supreme Court, 5-4 on strict fact-based versus faith-based lines, rules that no, there definitely was a conflict of interest and the judge shouldn't have been hearing the case, because the defendant had given him three million dollars.

Comments

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

My Civ Pro professor will be relieved. (This case got a lot of play in that class.)

[larabeaton.livejournal.com]

Judges are elected? I always thought that they were appointed.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Federal judges are appointed. State judges--like the West Virginia Supreme Court--it varies. Many states still have elections, some have moved to appointment.

[publius1.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[publius1.livejournal.com]

Judicial elections (and judicial retentions) are the single most stupid democratic "reform" outside of initiative and referenda that have followed me around from state to state in the places I have lived.

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

It's West Virginia. Stuff like that happens all the time.

The margin on the SC verdict is scary, though.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

[harald387.livejournal.com]

SCOTUS terrifies me.

[dreamshade.livejournal.com]

Would've been wonderful to have McCain be the one to replace Souter, huh?

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

What... I'm sorry WHAT!?

4 judges voted AGAINST that being a conflict of interests?! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

How can these even possibly work!?


Can i say for the billionth time what a STUPID idea electing judges is as well?!

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

There's a REASON I refere to the SCOTUS as having faith-based and fact-based judges.

Scalia, Alito, Roberts, and Thomas will *always* vote in favour of their personal preconceptions, regardless of the facts of the case, and those preconceptions include the idea that no corporation can ever be wrong, and that intrusive government can only ever be wrong if it intrudes on a corporation or rich person.

[dscotton.livejournal.com]

It almost certainly wouldn't have. The root of most of our pain is prop 13, a referendum passed in 1978, which simultaneously shrank the state's tax base on an ongoing basis (by limiting property tax increases) and gave us the awful 2/3 majority requirement that makes it impossible for our state legislature to pass a budget.

[skington.livejournal.com]

Yes, but those 4 judges weren't elected.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

idiocy can come from all sources :) it is known.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

There is so much politics in the election or appointment of judges in America that it boggles the mind - especially the bit that deals with common sense.

DO these guys not even have a pretence of ethics?