We must tell the legislature: Justice cannot be for sale!
“We put cash in the courtrooms, and it’s just wrong,” says former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, on the growing threat to judicial independence and integrity: the escalating millions that special interests are pouring into state judicial elections in an effort to buy favorable rulings. O'Connor's remarks here.
Big-money contributors to judicial campaigns often win. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spent close to $4 million on campaigns in April 2007 and April 2008. WMC-backed candidates won in both cases. And the money buys dirty campaign tactics, read about Michigan.
Alarming as it is, these trends have arrived in Washington. In 2006, candidates spent over $1.65 million and ads by special-interest groups (mostly the building industry and labor) added $2.65 million more - for a total of $4.3 million, chasing three seats on the court! In 2006 three incumbents were re-elected despite all the attack ads - which may have backfired. But what is the future?
In West Virginia, a state supreme court judge was elected with the help of $3 million in campaign contributions through the CEO of Massey Energy, a major coal company. Then, refusing to recuse himself, he provided the majority vote to cancel a $50 million jury award against Massey Energy. It's justice for sale, and it stinks - but sadly, it's not uncommon.
Now the U.S. Supreme Court will decide when judges must step aside because of campaign contributions from litigants. But don't hold your breath for relief from the nation's highest court. Justice Scalia, among others, vacations with these same corporate tycoons.
Is West Virginia an aberration? Apparently not. A Tulane University study of the Louisiana State Supreme Court showed that over a 14-year period, in cases where litigants made campaign contributions, judges ruled in their favor significantly more often than when no campaign contributions were involved. In fact for some judges, the larger the contribution, the more frequently the ruling was in the contributor's interest. A study of Ohio in 2006 by the NY Times revealed similar seeming undue influence.
Courts matter! - and the stakes are high. There are challenging issues which constantly end up at the supreme court - topics as wide-ranging as land use and growth management, water rights, environmental concerns, civil rights and criminal cases, worker rights and employment issues, and more.
So more than ever, there must be public confidence that justices are beholden to the law, not to special interests. Even the appearance of undue influence by campaign contributions is damaging, because it erodes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the court.
In 2010, three court seats will be on the ballot, and these races should not be decided by lavish spending by any special interest.
Justice must NEVER be for sale! And for less than 50-cents per person, per year, we can establish public financing of state supreme court campaigns.
View WPC's summary of the proposed bill.
http://www.washclean.org/Library/Summary-1-page-Proposed-Judicial-Bill-12-13-08.pdfClick here for the complete campaign page.
http://www.washclean.org/2009judicial-campaign.htm State leaders and your legislators need to hear from you! It's a stronger message if you call or write to them directly (rather than "Click-and-Send" emails commonly used).
The message is: Our courts must not be for sale! Please support public campaign financing for the state supreme court.
Call the Legislative Hotline, 1-800-562-6000.
Operators deliver your message directly to your legislators.
Call and Email state leaders:
Governor Christine Gregoire - 360-902-4111. Email: www.governor.wa.gov/contact/
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown - 360-786-7604. brown.lisa {at} leg.wa.gov
House Speaker Frank Chopp - 360-786-7920. chopp.frank {at} leg.wa.gov
Find YOUR legislators - contact info here.
(click on the tab "Find Your District" .. or, Click here )
Remember: Only through grassroots action will we achieve the democracy we want to see!
Imagine a democracy where leaders are elected on the strength of their ideas, rather than wealth or the strength of their financial backers. That's what public campaign financing aims to achieve!
Please support our efforts with a contribution - whatever you can afford. Donate here.
http://www.washclean.org/donate.htmThank you!
___________________
Craig Salins
Washington Public Campaigns
wpc {at} washclean.org
www.washclean.org
206-784-2522
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