Grand Rapids Press calls for state Supreme Court justices to be appointed

In an editorial Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Press argued that the large amount of anonymous campaign spending in Michigan Supreme Court races and the increasingly partisan image of judges undermine public trust in an independent judiciary.

A new 24-member bipartisan Judicial Selection Task Force lead by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelley announced last week that it would spend a year considering alternative to Michigan’s current system for electing judges.

The Press states:

One alternative to the status quo is judicial appointments that rely on a bipartisan panel of experts to recommend candidates to the governor. The state Senate would have a vote. Retention elections could be added so citizens have a more direct say.

Also needed are rules that ensure the names of donors in judicial elections are thoroughly disclosed. Allowing anonymous donors to influence elections encourages corruption.

Of course an appointment process would not completely remove partisanship from the process. Republicans and Democrats would name people who share their views and leanings, just as presidents do when they name Supreme Court justices.

But it would be better than what we have now, and go a long way toward helping citizens see justices and judges as something more than “politicians in robes.”