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.
"In too many states, judicial elections are becoming political prizefights where partisans and special interests seek to install judges who will answer to them instead of the law and the Constitution."
--Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
--Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Featured Stories
Justice Elizabeth Weaver's resignation has shaken up Michigan's Supreme Court and the November political landscape. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
The Washington Post and other major national newspapers, including the Detroit Free Press and Chicago Sun Times, have cited the New Politics report in editorials about the impact of special-interest spending on state Supreme Court elections. The report also continues to grab widespread news coverage. Learn more 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.
