WASHINGTON, D.C., June 22—Three national legal reform groups have called on the White House and Senate leaders to work together to reduce a growing backlog of judicial nominations, saying that “the process of nominating and confirming federal judges has been politicized by both parties, damaging the integrity of our justice system.”
"The founders realized there has to be someplace where being right is more important than being popular or powerful, and where fairness trumps strength. And in our country, that place is supposed to be the courtroom."
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Press Releases
Justice at Stake: Nominee Should Share Stevenss Commitment to Fair Courts Retiring Justice Valued Unique Role of Judiciary, President Obama Told in Letter WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28The next Supreme Court nominee should share retiring Justice John Paul Stevenss commitment to protecting courtrooms from partisan and special-interest politics, Justice at Stake,...
Statement: Justice Stevens, One of the Best Friends Americas Courts Ever Had Justice at Stake Reform Group Hails Retiring Jurists Role in Landmark Cases WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2010The following statement was issued today by Bert Brandenburg, executive director of the Justice at Stake campaign, on the retirement of Supreme...
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2010—Justice at Stake, a nonpartisan judicial reform group, praised the signing into law of a pilot public-financing program for West Virginia Supreme Court elections. Bert Brandenburg, JAS executive director, said: “This is a big victory for West Virginia citizens. It also shows there is real national momentum for reform in how we elect judges. In recent months, six states have approved or proposed measures that would insulate courts of law from special-interest money.”
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 15, 2010—The following statement was issued today by Justice at Stake executive director Bert Brandenburg, regarding a vote Saturday night to enact public financing for West Virginia 2012 Supreme Court elections:
MARCH 12, 2010—Justice at Stake, a nonpartisan judicial reform group, hailed today’s West Virginia Senate vote to publicly finance state Supreme Court elections. “Today’s vote is a major victory, and it adds to a rising national call for reform,” said Bert Brandenburg, executive director. “The people of West Virginia strongly support this bill. They want judges out of the ‘dialing-for-dollars’ game.”
ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 9, 2010Noting a sharp rise in national spending on court elections, the Justice at Stake Campaign testified today at a Maryland hearing on whether to end competitive elections for trial court judges. Speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bert Brandenburg, Justice at Stakes executive director, said special-interest...
CHARLESTON, W.VA., March 8, 2010West Virginias Senate Judiciary Committee has backed a plan to publicly finance the next state Supreme Court election, in an attempt to insulate courts from special-interest influence. The voice vote occurred only hours after a Justice at Stake-Committee for Economic Development poll was unveiled that showed...
CHARLESTON, W.VA., March 8, 2010—West Virginia voters support public financing of elections for state Supreme Court justices, expressing deep concern that campaign funders currently can buy unfair influence in the courtroom.
Media Advisory Kessler, Reform Groups to Unveil Poll on Public Financing What: Voters support public financing for Supreme Court elections, poll shows Who: Jeffrey Kessler, state senator and chair of Senate Judiciary Committee; Bert Brandenburg, executive director, Justice at Stake Campaign; Michael Petro, vice president, Committee for Economic Development When:...
Ruling Makes Election Reform ‘More Urgent Than Ever,’ Justice at Stake Says.
JAS and the Brennan Center have submitted testimony on the Wisconsin Supreme Court's proposed changes to recusal rules. The full testimony can be accessed online by clicking here, or going to www.justiceatstake.org. Previous testimony submitted by Justice at Stake can be accessed by clicking here.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court process has generated extensive publicity, which can be accessed at JAS’s Gavel Grab blog (www.gavelgrab.org). The court was expected to approve new rules at a Jan. 21, 2010, hearing.
Justice at Stake on the Citizens United decision: "This ruling pours gasoline on the fire of special-interest money that has been overtaking judicial elections.Interest group spending imperils our right to impartial justice by pressuring judges to rule with one eye on big-money contributors."
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Justice at Stake Campaign, a nonpartisan judicial watchdog group, announced the election of two attorneys, former Hispanic National Bar Association president Ramona Romero and Mark Harrison, to its board of directors.
A decade after special interest spending on state court elections spiked to unprecedented heights, 2009 brought a series of historic breakthrough reforms, according to the Justice at Stake Campaign, a nonpartisan national watchdog group. Executive Director Bert Brandenburg cited “major” victories in the U.S. Supreme Court and in Michigan and Wisconsin, two of the nation’s worst battleground states, that all reduce the effect of campaign cash on America’s courtrooms.
