Chris W. Bonneau’s defense of judicial elections [“A bum rap on elected judges,” Washington Forum, May 27] skipped over important data suggesting that justice could be for sale. State supreme court candidates raised more than $206 million in the past decade, shattering records in 20 states. Much of this money came from lawyers and interest groups who appear before these candidates in court. Three in four Americans, most business leaders and nearly half of judges themselves believe that campaign cash is affecting courtroom decisions.
Twenty-four states have used merit selection to pick judges for decades, so that judges can be screened for experience, intellect and judicial temperament, and not face a tidal wave of special-interest money seeking to tilt the scales of justice. Research shows that elected judges are disciplined at higher rates, and for more serious infractions, than are their appointed counterparts.
Finally, Mr. Bonneau mischaracterized the work of organizations that oppose judicial elections. We support a variety of reforms, including public financing of judicial elections, merit selection and tougher disqualification rules, so that judges do not hear cases involving major campaign spenders.
Bert Brandenburg, Washington
Seth Andersen, Des Moines
The writers are, respectively, executive directors of the Justice at Stake Campaign and the American Judicature Society.