Facts & Stats

39 states elect at least some appellate or major trial court judges. See Contested Elections vs. Appointments.


76% of Americans believe campaign contributions have at least some impact on a judge’s courtroom decisions. See Money & Elections or Polls.


Spending on state Supreme Court elections more than doubled in the past decade, from $83.3 million in 1990-1999 to $206.9 million in 2000-2009. See Money & Elections.


93% of Americans believe judges should not hear cases involving major campaign supporters. 81% believe a neutral judge, not the judge whose fairness is being challenged, should decide whether a judge should avoid a case involving campaign benefactors.See Recusal or Polls.


The USA PATRIOT Act and other post-September 11 policies dramatically weakened the historic power of the courts to protect our rights and check possible government abuses. See Civil Liberties & National Security.


Congress periodically engages in waves of “court-stripping,” often to punish the courts for particular rulings on hot-button social issues. See Court-Stripping.


There are only two Hispanic women among the 161 active judges on the U.S. Courts of Appeals, following Justice Sonia Sotomayor's elevation to the U.S. Supreme Court,  Sixty-one percent of active federal appellate judges are white males. See Diversity.