Tennessee Justices Caught with Their Hands in the Political Cookie Jar
January 14, 2011
“Merit” selection is supposed to keep politics out of the courtroom, right? At least that’s the main talking point of the $45 million campaign to reshape America’s courts. So why were two Tennessee Supreme Court justices writing checks to try to defeat Senator Mike Bell? Apparently because they disagreed with his belief that ordinary citizens should have some say over who sits on the bench.
As a House member, Senator Bell was sharply critical of the state’s “merit” selection system. Justices Sharon Lee and Gary Wade didn’t want to see such a prominent critic of the system that brought them their jobs elevated to the Senate, so they each contributed $500 to Bell’s primary opponent. As an understandably peeved Senator Bell put it, judges:
“kind of like to sit on their lofty perches and claim they are above politics, but they’re just as political as anyone else when it comes to protecting their own jobs.”
Prominent Tennessee attorney and “merit” selection supporter Max Bahner says that “every private citizen has the right to make a contribution.” He’s correct of course. But don’t these contributions create the same “perception problem” that the “merit” selection crowd constantly condemns when the rest of us exercise that same right? Why is there a perception that it’s impossible for judges to remain fair and impartial if they accept a campaign contribution, but no reasonable concern about bias is they make a contribution themselves?
Posted by Dan Pero in the categories: Tennessee
2 Responses to “Tennessee Justices Caught with Their Hands in the Political Cookie Jar”
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