Texas is one of the states where judicial elections are partisan. The candidates run for the office as Democrats or Republicans and the voters see the party labels on the ballot. Candidates are chosen based on their partisan affiliation just like those who run for presidency. According to
Wallace B. Jefferson, the newly retired Chief Justice of Texas's Supreme Court, the way Texas selects its judges is wrong. In the article “Chief Justice Condemns Judicial Elections” he points at the problems inherent in judicial elections in Texas.
According to Jefferson the judicial election system in Texas is broken. It doesn’t function well and it has to be fixed. The first major problem is the partisan elections. It is necessary that a person who wants …show more content…
In order to reach more voters, candidates need a lot of advertising which requires a big budget. Advertising helps to introduce their campaign agenda, persuade and make the public think about relevant issues that the candidate focuses on. TV ads are very expensive and Texas is a big state. In order to cover major spot markets the candidates need a lot of money. Rich supporters help with the finances but they expect something in return.
The candidates for judges in Texas don’t educate the voters like Jefferson used to do. The newly retired Chief Justice of Texas's Supreme Court used to explain the basics of the Texas judicial system to the voters. Voters in Texas don’t have much information about the judicial candidates. They don’t know about law and policies. The lack of knowledge causes many people to simply not participate in the judicial election.
The lawmakers in Texas are reluctant to change the judicial selection system in Texas because in their opinion a judge should be accountable. The problem is that the voters don’t know the judges. Voters have no idea how judges work, whether they spend long hours on an issue that is important for many people who voted for him, or if the judges are devoted to their obligations and want to make things …show more content…
Neither of them wants changes. The elected judges make sure that they satisfy the needs of their biggest and most influential supporters and their party. As long as everyone gets what they want, things stay the same.
Votes in Texas are not based on the merits of the judges. The qualifications are not being considered by the voters. What matters is the partisan affiliation, the political or social connections and the amount of money raise for the campaign. As an effect, there is no impartial justice in Texas.
I think that the judicial election in Texas should be impartial. When people are attached to one party and choose a candidate from this party only, it means they support the views of their party representatives and don’t focus on the judge’s merit. Judges are not politicians and voters should look at their values and experience. Judges interpret the law and make decisions in the pursuit of justice. It can’t be expected that a judge will be good only because he represents a party. The judicial race should not be political. The straight ticket should be therefore eliminated so that voters can select one individual candidate. The voters should realize that the judge has to make impartial decisions and serve the whole society and not those affiliated to one party. Every citizen should get some information about the
Wallace B. Jefferson, the newly retired Chief Justice of Texas's Supreme Court, the way Texas selects its judges is wrong. In the article “Chief Justice Condemns Judicial Elections” he points at the problems inherent in judicial elections in Texas.
According to Jefferson the judicial election system in Texas is broken. It doesn’t function well and it has to be fixed. The first major problem is the partisan elections. It is necessary that a person who wants …show more content…
In order to reach more voters, candidates need a lot of advertising which requires a big budget. Advertising helps to introduce their campaign agenda, persuade and make the public think about relevant issues that the candidate focuses on. TV ads are very expensive and Texas is a big state. In order to cover major spot markets the candidates need a lot of money. Rich supporters help with the finances but they expect something in return.
The candidates for judges in Texas don’t educate the voters like Jefferson used to do. The newly retired Chief Justice of Texas's Supreme Court used to explain the basics of the Texas judicial system to the voters. Voters in Texas don’t have much information about the judicial candidates. They don’t know about law and policies. The lack of knowledge causes many people to simply not participate in the judicial election.
The lawmakers in Texas are reluctant to change the judicial selection system in Texas because in their opinion a judge should be accountable. The problem is that the voters don’t know the judges. Voters have no idea how judges work, whether they spend long hours on an issue that is important for many people who voted for him, or if the judges are devoted to their obligations and want to make things …show more content…
Neither of them wants changes. The elected judges make sure that they satisfy the needs of their biggest and most influential supporters and their party. As long as everyone gets what they want, things stay the same.
Votes in Texas are not based on the merits of the judges. The qualifications are not being considered by the voters. What matters is the partisan affiliation, the political or social connections and the amount of money raise for the campaign. As an effect, there is no impartial justice in Texas.
I think that the judicial election in Texas should be impartial. When people are attached to one party and choose a candidate from this party only, it means they support the views of their party representatives and don’t focus on the judge’s merit. Judges are not politicians and voters should look at their values and experience. Judges interpret the law and make decisions in the pursuit of justice. It can’t be expected that a judge will be good only because he represents a party. The judicial race should not be political. The straight ticket should be therefore eliminated so that voters can select one individual candidate. The voters should realize that the judge has to make impartial decisions and serve the whole society and not those affiliated to one party. Every citizen should get some information about the