"We aren't legislators in robes," protests a veteran Illinois Supreme Court justice who has been targeted for removal in a retention election this year by a deep-pocketed pro-business group. Read more in Gavel Grab.
"Essential to public confidence in the judiciary is the assurance that justice is not for sale and that legal disputes will be resolved by fair and impartial judicial officers."
Committee for Economic Development, in a U.S. Supreme Court brief signed by Wal-Mart, Pepsico, Intel and Lockheed Martin
Committee for Economic Development, in a U.S. Supreme Court brief signed by Wal-Mart, Pepsico, Intel and Lockheed Martin
Featured Stories
A new national poll shows that large bipartisan majorities of Americans believe elected judges deliver favored treatment to their campaign backers, and similar majorities support reforms to curb the perception that justice is for sale. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
Almost one in eight U.S. judgeships is vacant, and political partisanship over confirmations is threatening the delivery of impartial justice. See details in Gavel Grab.
Special-interest money exploded in state court races in 2000-2009, a new report reveals. In a foreword, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor warns of a "crisis of confidence' in elected courts. The report was authored by Justice at Stake, the Brennan Center for Justice, the National Institute on Money in State Politics, and Hofstra University law professor James Sample. For more, see this online resource page, or visit Gavel Grab.
A new group has formed to promote Iowa's merit selection process for choosing judges and to defend its courts from attacks. See details in Gavel Grab.
Women have made major gains in state judiciaries, especially in the South, according to a new study. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
Elena Kagan, 50, has taken the oath of office to become a Supreme Court justice, making history as only the fourth female to sit on the highest court. See details in Gavel Grab.
A political effort to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices, in retaliation for the court's legalizing same-sex marriage, appears to be ramping up. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
A sharp backlash has erupted against federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker of San Francisco, who ruled this week that California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. See Gavel Grab for details.
The Senate has voted 63 to 37 to confirm Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, handing President Barack Obama his second appointee for the nine-member court. See Gavel Grab for more.
Judge Vaughn R. Walker's historic decision finding California's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Find details in Gavel Grab.
It's official: Critics of Missouri’s nationally recognized merit system for selecting judges did not get enough valid signatures to put the issue before voters this fall. See Gavel Grab for more.
A federal appeals court blocked distribution of millions of dollars in “matching” public funds to a cash-strapped candidate for governor in Florida. See Gavel Grab for more.
With partisanship on display, the Senate began debating President Obama’s nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Learn details from Gavel Grab.
A federal judge has received hate mail and death threats after she put the most controversial parts of Arizona’s immigration law on hold. For more, see Gavel Grab.
