Justice at Stake hailed a vote in West Virginia's state Senate approving a pilot public-financing program for the 2012 state Supreme Court election. "It adds to a rising national call for reform," said JAS executive director Bert Brandenburg. Learn more in Gavel Grab.
Congress periodically engages in waves of "court-stripping," often to punish the courts for particular rulings on hot-button social issues.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she would like to see an end to state judicial elections, bringing a prominent new voice to an already vigorous debate. For more, read Gavel Grab.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich recently called for abolition of the entire Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But is it right "for the legislature and the president to say to a court, you are intolerable, and you no longer exist"? Read more in Gavel Grab.
Recalling the McCarthy era, a New York Times editorial asks, "Are You or Have You Ever Been a Lawyer?" It warns that recent attacks on government lawyers who once represented Guantanamo detainees weaken our constitutional rights. For more, see Gavel Grab.
A guilty plea by an accused terrorist is being hailed by some as a victory for civilian courts-whose role in terror cases also was defended by two former Bush administration cabinet members. See Gavel Grab. For more commentary, click here.
Veteran newsman Bill Moyers warns that after the Citizens United ruling, "There's now a crooked sign hanging on every courthouse in America reading 'Justice for Sale.' Click here to learn more. Also, a Huffington Post column by Moyers cites Justice at Stake.
President Obama's criticism of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling provoked a sharp debate on whether he crossed a line. Bert Brandenburg, executive director of JAS, examines the lessons to be learned from the State of the Union controversy.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, spearheading a drive to end partisan judicial elections, made stops in Michigan and Minnesota to encourage reform. Read more in Gavel Grab.
The American Bar Association is urging Congress to eliminate the existing immigration courts system and replace it with a new, independent court. The immigration courts have become “an overwhelmed system choked by an exploding caseload,” said a main author of a report submitted to the ABA. Read more in Gavel Grab.
In his annual state of the judiciary speech, Missouri Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr. made an eloquent plea to keep special interests and big money out of the courtroom. Learn more in Gavel Grab.
President Obama's rhetorical criticism of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision provoked head-shaking by Justice Samuel Alito--and many others. The exchange set off debate about who breached decorum, and who was right. Read more in Gavel Grab.
Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, speaking at a Georgetown University conference, warned that runaway spending on judicial elections can "poison" the credibility of elected state courts. She also did a CNN interview and voiced her concerns. See Gavel Grab.
Nearly 50 detainees now at Guantanamo should be held indefinitely without without either a civilian or military trial, a Justice Department task force has recommended. Learn more in Gavel Grab.
The Citizens United ruling has sparked a torrent of comment, and widespread criticism. In a press release, Justice at Stake says the need for election reform is "more urgent than ever." To learn more, see a special online video section, including a TV interview with the Brennan Center's Monica Youn, and read today's Gavel Grab report.
Proposed new recusal rules in Wisconsin "are in clear conflict" with the 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case Caperton v. Massey, Justice at Stake and the Brennan Center for Justice said, in a joint letter to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Click here to read more.
