Pa. bill seeks end to state court elections
HARRISBURG - A proposal to end elections for statewide judgeships - in favor of a system that would combine "merit selection" and retention votes - was approved by a state House committee Tuesday.
HARRISBURG - A proposal to end elections for statewide judgeships - in favor of a system that would combine "merit selection" and retention votes - was approved by a state House committee Tuesday.
The measure calls for a 13-member panel, appointed by the governor and legislators, to recommend candidates based on criteria such as professional competence and judicial temperament, said Lynn Marks, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, a nonpartisan watchdog group.
Recommended candidates then would have to be approved by the governor and the state Senate, Marks said.
After four years on the bench, said State Rep. Madeline Dean (D., Montgomery), a cosponsor of the measure, each judge would have a yes-or-no "retention election," allowing voters to decide whether the judge should remain on the bench.
If approved, Dean said, the jurist would keep the seat for an additional 10 years before facing a second retention election.
The bill would apply only to statewide courts - Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts - Dean said. County and other local judges still would be elected.
Dean said the proposal was aimed at reducing the role of money in statewide judicial contests, which she believes can be a "corrupting influence."
"To me, this is a reform that is about good government, about better government," she said.
Because the change would require a constitutional amendment, the bill would need approval by both the state House and Senate during two consecutive legislative sessions, as well as voter approval.
Still, Marks said, the scandals enveloping the Pennslyvania Supreme Court may have created a "perfect storm" for producing judicial reform.
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