Fair Courts at Risk (Editorial)

The nature of state judicial elections has changed dramatically in recent years, and not for the better.

Expanding their influence-peddling efforts beyond executive offices, like president and governor, and legislative offices, like Congress and state legislatures, well-heeled special interests have become a dominant force in crucial state judicial races.

The alarming result: raucous campaigns with cheesy television attack ads paid for by influence seekers. These trends have grievously compromised judicial neutrality and the appearance of neutrality at the core of the nation’s justice system.