He Used To Be John Jay Hooker

By Kleinheider Posted on May 7, 2009 at 9:21 pm

John Jay Hooker on retention elections for judges:

A summary of the above testimony can be found here.

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Tags: Frank Clement, John Jay Hooker, Judicial retention, retention elections  

Former State Senator Counsels A “No” Vote On Every Judicial Retention Ballot Line

By Kleinheider Posted on August 4, 2008 at 3:54 pm

From Rob Shearer:

David Fowler of the Family Action Council of TN has circulated an email announcing his personal decision to vote “no” on the question of retaining the Tennessee Supreme Court and Appellate Court judges.

Why is he doing this? Fowler calls it a “personal declaration of independence.”

The issue is the sham process by which judges in Tennessee are selected by a screening group dominated by special interests, then appointed by the Governor (who can only choose among the three names submitted to him by the screening group), and then finally, submitted to the voters at the next general election (invariably the lower-turnout August election) for a yes-or-no retention vote.

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Tags: David Fowler, Judicial retention, Word  

Use Your Best Judgment

By Kleinheider Posted on at 11:57 am

Chattanooga blogger Joe Lance issues his endorsements for the August 7th primary. On the judicial retention elections, however, you are on your own:

This system of using the ballot to retain appointed judges is convoluted, confusing, and in need of correction. I will not make any recommendations here, because I know far too little about each judge’s record. I‘m almost inclined to vote “No” on the Court of Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court members, based solely on my position against capital punishment; but how do I know which judges are on my side? The Court of Appeals, which hears civil cases, doesn’t present the same challenge. Use your best judgment, so to speak.

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Tags: August 7th, endorsements, Judicial retention  

On Retention Elections Being Retained

By Kleinheider Posted on July 30, 2008 at 7:44 am

Tom Humphrey reports on what may be the last year for judicial retention elections:

“Our state constitution says judges shall be ‘elected by the qualified voters.’ What we have is not an election, not the way our constitution intends it to be,” state Sen. Duane Bunch, R-Cleveland, sponsor of a failed bill to abolish the current system for picking judges.

For that reason, Bunch said, he plans to vote against retention of the judges, as he has in the past, even though knowing some are “quality people.”

The two Supreme Court justices on the current ballot are William C. Koch, 60, appointed by Bredesen in June of last year, and Gary R. Wade, 60, appointed in May 2006.

Both men said in interviews that they support the present system and might not even be candidates if faced with running in partisan, contested elections.

SEE ALSO: Joe Lance

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Tags: Judicial retention, Tennessee