LEHIGH VALLEY MORNING CALL: …In classic political theory, for example, democracy functions on the basis of an informed electorate electing its leaders. That theory, while never working perfectly, works well enough when selecting officials to executive and legislative branches of government.
But it has not worked well at all when voters have been asked to elect judges on statewide ballots. The technical nature of legal issues together with the expectation that judges will act in a nonpartisan manner has not been a good fit with electoral systems. Judges selected by election must live in a political milieu, yet must act as if they didn’t.
In fact, the federal level eschews any judicial elections. Judges are all appointed, from district court judges to the Supreme Court. Each is first nominated by the president and must then be confirmed by the U.S Senate… (more)
