Op-Ed by Skip Walther | St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Regarding “Missouri’s judicial selection process is in need of reform” (June 1): The Missouri Bar Board of Governors disagrees strongly with James Harris’ dismal and misinformed assessment of Missouri’s court system. So do most Missourians. An analysis by Missourians for Fair and Impartial Courts Action Fund of the petitions submitted to the Missouri secretary of state revealed that the group fell far short of the required number of signatures to earn the initiative a place on the ballot.
If the analysis is confirmed, Missourians should be congratulated for refusing to change a court system that works for all citizens. The risk posed by Mr. Harris’ initiative can’t be overstated. Mr. Harris’ group sought to scrap our merit-based judicial selection system and replace it with partisan elections. Judicial candidates for trial courts in major metro areas would need hundreds of thousands of dollars to mount a campaign. Supreme Court candidates would need millions of dollars. Major corporations, political organizations and private donors could determine who becomes a judge through massive contributions.
The Missouri Bar Board of Governors voted to take all action necessary to support the Non-Partisan Court Plan. The Missouri Bar’s response is not partisan. It does not pit Democrats against Republicans, conservatives against liberals or defense attorneys against plaintiffs’ attorneys. The board consists of a widely diverse group of 45 elected lawyers who represent lawyers across the state. The board is steadfast and unanimous in its belief that the merit-based system brings fair and impartial justice to all Missourians, and it is committed to confronting this threat and any future to secure the integrity of Missouri’s courts.
Skip Walther is President of The Missouri Bar.
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