My Turn: Do judges justice. Learn more about Real Change and donate now to support independent, award-winning journalism. Choosing who to vote for judge can be a challenge. In all, there are 13 positions on the ballot, of which only four have more than one candidate. This election year, two contested Washington Supreme Court seats are being challenged. Since the Iowa Constitution was amended in 1962 the state has used a merit selection process to choose judges. At the supreme and appellate levels, judges are appointed by the governor from a list of three names compiled by a judicial nominating commission. As a lawyer, a question that pops up from non-lawyers every election is: who should I pick for judge? Pennsylvania is the one state that only elects judges in odd-numbered years. In local election years, Kurowski says they hold “Running for Office” workshops to “demystify” the process of candidacy. I have a few things to consider when evaluating the quality of the judicial endorsement. Your 2020 Denver ballot has 17 answer boxes for judges, ranging from the Colorado Supreme Court down to Denver County Court. The question of whether Nevada should even elect judges seems to come up frequently, especially when there is a high-profile case of misconduct. As long as there are elected judges, there will be attorneys making endorsements. Seven states choose their judges in partisan elections at every level. For example, the King County Bar Association has a practice of assigning a qualification ranking to candidates running in contested races from “not qualified” to “exceptionally well qualified.” The evaluation is only used for contested elections and doesn’t apply when judges are appointed. When voters head to the polls on Nov. 6, they’ll encounter a slew of down-ballot names they’ve likely never heard of: judges standing for retention. “So, when there are two judges who are more or less equal in terms of experience, fairness and writing skills, then it’s OK to take their background views into account.”. Judges are usually the decision makers in a trial, while jurors are the fact finders. The mystifying foundation is our complex and coded court system. In that case, the endorsing attorney’s recommendation is based on something other than direct knowledge, like political party or reputation. A nominating commission interviews applicants and … However, with the number of attorneys in the area, it is more likely the endorser has no direct experience with the candidate. Real Change is a non-profit organization advocating for economic, social and racial justice since 1994. STEP 2: Vote for the incumbent, unless there is a darned good reason not to. I usually give one. Judges’ personal experiences, biases and values will affect outcomes with more singularity than lawmakers, and more latitude than jurors filtered out and tasked with strict instruction to be unbiased. This means you’ll be voting members into the House of Representatives and the Senate.One of the simplest tools to figure out which candidates match your interests is Vote Smart’s Vote Easy quiz. There are many local bar associations: King County Bar Association, Asian Bar Association, Loren Mills Bar Association and Washington Women Lawyers. Iowa has used a merit selection process to choose judges since the Iowa Constitution was amended in 1962. These judicial positions are important. More info on judicial races and candidates is in the pamphlet mailed to eligible voters; in Seattle Channel’s video voter guide: seattlechannel.org/elections; and at votingforjudges.org, a non-partisan hub pertaining to judicial elections. Attorney endorsements are helpful, but for the earnest voter, the weight you give those endorsements should be tempered by asking questions to understand the quality of the endorsement. Similarly, Kansas’ Supreme Court judges are selected by the governor from a list of three candidates provided by a judicial nominating commission consisting of … The third thing to ask is: is the candidate an active judge or magistrate? After being appointed, judges must go through periodic retention elections to continue serving. EDUCATION Education candidates include Regents, who set policies and approve budgets for the state’s public system of higher education, School District Trustees who manage K-12 schools, and the State Board of Education, which designs policies and regulations and works with communities to promote student achievement in the state Judges, after all, make countless final decisions. Reputation in the community does not always correlate to judicial capability. Races wherein someone might challenge an incumbent are rare, so they could suggest there is someone who disagrees with or dislikes the incumbent or candidate. If you don’t vote among party lines, evaluating the differences between judicial candidates can be a challenge. Some states hold "retention elections" to determine if the judge should continue to serve. Guest columns are submitted or requested fact-based opinion pieces of 300 to 450 words. Is the endorsement based on legitimate belief or a desire to stay in the candidate’s good graces for a future case? States choose judges in any of the following ways: Appointment: The state's governor or legislature will choose their judges. Abbe Sheila Rifkin Logan, George Odom Jr. and Dennis Bailey are three candidates for Broward Circuit judge in the Aug. 18 elections, which are open to all voters, regardless of party. Spitzer says trial courts need “competent, thoughtful and fair judges” so that anyone who ends up in court feels their case has been tried fairly. “Those are often the elected positions that are making significant decisions about our roads, schools and local tax dollars, for example.”. The second thing to ask is: what’s the basis of the endorser’s knowledge? The majority of trial court judges are chosen in partisan elections with the exception of some judges in Vanderburgh, Lake, Allen, St. Joseph, and Marion counties. Your guide to the November 2020 Cook County judicial elections Published October 6, 2020 Judges have the power to make decisions about guilt and innocence, to take away someone's freedom, to interpret or overturn state laws, and to correct or perpetuate injustices. “Each judge’s background views on major social issues, like racism, LBGTQ issues, sexism or economic concentration, will come into play in some fashion,” Spitzer said. After the presidential election, which you’ve probably already decided on, the next section on your ballot asks for your vote on congressional candidates. There are only opinions based on limited information. “We know that one of the main reasons people say they don’t vote is because they don’t see candidates on that ballot that reflect them or their community,” said Hannah Kurowski of King County Elections. There are 85 members on the evaluation committee. Keep in mind, though, anyone who is not “in good standing” with KCBA or who did not respond to a call to submit materials receives the ranking “not qualified.”. Most people use name recognition when voting for judges. “If you have friends who are attorneys, talk to them. COOK COUNTY, IL — For many voters, judicial races are the most baffling part of the ballot. Judges are paid $174,641 per year. Contested races are usually for “open seats.”. Before I give you a bit of background about why New York’s system for choosing judges is so messed up, here are some practical steps you can take to find out more about judicial candidates: Contact her at kamna@realchangenews.org. Regardless of whether judges serve on a high court or a low court, they are powerful decision makers who we must choose carefully. Appeals courts, including supreme courts, require candidates who “can think straight and write well” because they make decisions around how to interpret the law. Attorneys with direct working knowledge of the candidate’s judicial capability are great resources – but even then the question arises of the endorser’s impartiality. All rights reserved. Judges are elected by voters or appointed in case of a vacancy; municipal judges are appointed no matter what. Judges oversee criminal, family, and civil trials and lawsuits. If you are in King County, this year’s ballot, along with the high stakes presidential race, includes judge races for State Superior Court, King County Court of Appeals, King County Superior Court and King County District Court. Terry W. Posey Jr. is an litigator at Gottschlich & Portune LLP and a Miami Township Trustee. Supreme Court justices and appellate court judges also are … Terry W. Posey, Jr. is an litigator at Gottschlich & Portune LLP and a Miami Township Trustee. Candidates campaign on their decision-making philosophy and experience, but that can be hard for non-lawyers to distinguish. Municipal officials or county leaders pick justice court judges. Judges preside over trials. The incumbents are women of color who were appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Spitzer recommends looking for candidates who have a “uniformly high” ranking. © 2020 Real Change. Now, out of the whopping 12 judicial seats in the L.A. County Superior Court that were up for a vote in the March primary, three seats remain to be decided. Attorneys that have had cases with or against the candidate are great endorsers – their work together provides a direct opportunity to observe the strength of the candidate’s legal knowledge and civility. Then cast your vote to make your voice heard in the upcoming election. Choose Your Judges is an independent website dedicated to providing information to voters about judicial elections. Judges are usually the decision makers in a trial, while jurors are the fact finders. Judicial races determine who rules in the court of law, but get little exposure. Appeals courts and supreme courts are higher courts, sitting above the others. Ethics rules prohibit candidates from taking positions on legal issues. NOTE: This guest column by attorney Terry Posey appeared on the Ideas and Voices page Friday, Oct. 9. Balance of Ohio Supreme Court at stake in 2020 election, Major changes to how Ohio draws congressional districts heads to voters, Letters to the Editor: ‘Voting must be protected’ for all. Judicial races are rarely covered in the media, contributing to the low voter turnout for such races. The governor appoints judges at the district court and appeals court levels, and the state Senate must approve. Rather, the voter chooses between electing the incumbent judge to a further term in office (i.e. Judges serve six-year terms and stand for merit retention election in the counties within the court's jurisdiction. Good judges are the backbone of our legal system and we are fortunate locally to usually have excellent candidates. voting in … There are regional federal district courts, municipal city courts and county superior courts. A judicial retention vote differs from a regular election in that voters are not asked to choose from a list of candidates — the judges on the ballot do not have opponents. According to University of Washington School of Law Professor Hugh D. Spitzer, it is “because most voters are satisfied having judges who are experienced and fair, and don’t see much reason to switch to someone else.”, When a judge steps down from their seat, the executive head of the jurisdiction the judge sits in — for instance, the mayor for municipal judges — will appoint someone to the position before an election. Even though judicial races are non-partisan, it is rare to see an attorney endorse a candidate who was not of their political party. Arizona Supreme Court. Finish marking your ballot Bar president: Arizona's Judicial Performance Review makes it easy to learn about the judges on your November ballot. 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