Virginia legislators rejected an openly gay prosecutor for a local judgeship after conservatives criticized his support for same-sex marriage and his challenging the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Read more in Gavel Grab.
"In eight years the military commissions ... put three people on trial. ... Meanwhile, the federal courts, our Article III, regular legal court system, has put dozens of terrorists in jail. ... The suggestion that somehow a military commission is the way to go isn't borne out."
Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
Recent Fair-Courts Articles
The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s vote not to reappoint the chairman of a judicial discipline commission drew condemnation from a former state bar leader and an editorial board. For more, visit Gavel Grab.
If Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins is targeted for attack in an ouster drive this year by same-sex marriage opponents, “I’m not going to let them bully me,” he vowed. See Gavel Grab for details.
Missouri’s House voted 84-71 to place before voters in November a proposed constitutional amendment to change the way appeals judges are chosen. Find out details from Gavel Grab.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation have awarded multi-year grants totaling $2.4 million to the Justice at Stake Campaign to advance its nonpartisan work. Read Gavel Grab for more.
Justice at Stake and 28 other national organizations called on Monday for prompt Senate votes on judicial nominations. They said political leaders must end a chronic gridlock that is thwarting the delivery of justice. See Gavel Grab for details.
Both tomorrow's costly West Virginia Supreme Court primary contest and Justice at Stake's reporting on soaring judicial election fundraising were spotlighted by a Wall Street Journal blog. For more, see Gavel Grab.
High school students brought a fresh touch when invited by the League of Women Voters of Spartanburg County, S.C. to find new ways to drive home a message about judicial diversity. See Gavel Grab for more.
The upcoming arraignment of five accused 9/11 terrorists before a military tribunal has ignited renewed debate over removal of the case from a federal courtroom. Find out details in Gavel Grab.
Cash-strapped courts in Kentucky will close temporarily when 3,300 court workers are furloughed without pay for three days between August and October. See Gavel Grab for details.
The number of minority law clerks serving federal judges has declined from five years ago. The clerkships are considered to be an important path to an eventual judgeship. For more, see Gavel Grab.
More editorial voices are standing up in defense of Missouri’s merit system for selecting appeals judges, which has come under renewed assault in the legislature. For more, see Gavel Grab.
Florida’s chapter of Americans for Prosperity is poised to become involved in this year’s state Supreme Court retention elections in the Sunshine State, where three incumbent justices are targeted. Find out details from Gavel Grab.
A bipartisan task force has called for sweeping reforms of Michigan judicial elections, including full disclosure of those funding Supreme Court campaign ads and open, nonpartisan primaries for the Supreme Court. See Gavel Grab for more.
Tennessee’s House voted to replace the state’s existing merit-based system for choosing judges with a process similar to the federal government’s process. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in another high-profile case involving the federal government’s power, this time focusing on Arizona’s restrictive law for cracking down on illegal immigrants. For details, see Gavel Grab.
Wisconsin Justice David Prosser has now asked three fellow justices to step aside in an ethics case against him, because they witnessed an incident at issue. Find out more from Gavel Grab.
The Tennessee Senate has approved a second proposed judicial selection plan in two weeks, this time advancing a system like the federal government’s. Read Gavel Grab for more.
Because of court funding cuts, "Our justice system is shambles. The sky is falling. This is not crying wolf," former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson warned in California. Check out Gavel Grab for more.
The Tennessee Senate has voted 21-9 to take the first step toward writing into the state’s constitution the existing merit selection process for choosing appeals judges. For more, read Gavel Grab.
The nation’s latest debate over claims of “judicial activism” has served a useful purpose, according to a Des Moines Register editorial: Political leaders on both sides are condemning use of the label. See Gavel Grab for more.
Budget shortfalls have caused “a pretty devastating impact in lots of states” on court services, said Judge Kevin Burke, president of the American Judges Association. For more, read Gavel Grab.
One of eight candidates for the West Virginia Supreme Court has qualified to receive public financing under a pilot program passed by the legislature in 2010. See Gavel Grab for more.
A challenge to part of Iowa’s merit-selection process for choosing state Supreme Court justices was rejected by the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Find details in Gavel Grab.
A New York Times editorial decried the steps leading up to a planned trial of the accused 9/11 terrorists before a military tribunal as “The Road We Need Not Have Traveled.” Read Gavel Grab for more.
