Posted on 11/02/2010 11:20:13 PM PDT by 11th_VA
All three Iowa Supreme Court justices up for retention election have been ousted from the bench.
Around 54 percent of Iowans voted not to retain each of the three judges: Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and associate justices Michael J. Streit and David L. Baker. The campaign for the judges ouster was based on the court’s unanimous 2009 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.
There were 74 judges, including three Supreme Court justices, on the ballot Tuesday. Only the Supreme Court justices, however, came anywhere close to being removed from the bench.
The highly charged campaign featured more than $1 million in spending against the judges from national anti-gay organizations like the Mississippi-based American Family Association, Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, Georgia-based Faith & Freedom Coalition and New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage. The campaign culminated in a 20-city bus tour across Iowa.
The groups pushing for ouster promised that this was simply the first battle in a nationwide war against gay marriage and gay rights.
“If you rise up you will see states calling, other people from other states phoning and e-mailing and coming to find out how you did it because they too want to take their state back,” said Tamara Scott, of the Concerned Women of America’s Iowa chapter and a participant in the bus tour.
Despite the ouster of the judges, though, same-sex marriage continues to be legal in Iowa, and outgoing Democratic Gov. Chet Culver has the authority to appoint the judges’ successors.
He better think twice ...
Cool!
Well played, Hawkeyes.
A very under-reported sidebar of the national tidal wave.
Good for the voters. I’ve always heard it’s next to impossible to get rid of a judge in an election. We had a similar campaign out in CO. I haven’t seen the results, but very little of anything is going our way tonight.
He ought to pass the buck on that one or the Iowa Congress could filibuster his nominations. The message to them couldn’t be clearer.
“Despite the ouster of the judges, though, same-sex marriage continues to be legal in Iowa, and outgoing Democratic Gov. Chet Culver has the authority to appoint the judges’ successors.”
That part is just sick. He can just do it with bringing it before his legislature?
I think everry judge should face the possibility of being ousted by the voters,right up to the Supreme Court.
Either that,or all judges who are appointed be term-limited to ,say,one seven year term.Lifetime appointments free them too much.
Iowans need direct elections for judges.
Iowa has an ‘impartial’ panel (of 90% Democrats) who choose a list the gov. will have to pick from. The names will change but the game will be the same.
BTW, the once-and-future Gov. Branstad appointed the dismissed Chief Justice Ternus and voiced no opinion on the judges vote.
One can only believe that if they believe that judges have the constitutional authority to make laws or to unilaterally amend constitutions.
Thankfully, we were able to educate enough Iowans that this is not, nor ever has been, the case.
Wow. I wish we were this smart in FL.
It seems no matter what the justices do, they always get retained, always.
And for some reason FL always votes in amendments, even though they almost always are written in order to make sure libs have power, even though this is a conservative state. It’s sort of amazing people don’t realize this is the purpose of amendments - to tie a legislature’s hands and give power to judges.
>>>Iowans need direct elections for judges.
No, we don’t.
We need the Governor to appoint, the State Senate to consent, and keep the retention ballot question every 4 years after the judge has been on the bench for a year.
Why do you oppose direct election of judges?
Conflict of interest. You want judges making decisions based on laws, not campaign promises.
DIttos to Stourme.
Congress/legislature-critters are elected and make laws. Judges don’t make law, and don’t need to be elected.
No, I want judges to make decisions based on truth and the Constitution.
If the law is convoluted or contradictory to the Constitution, it should be tossed out.
If the law is a lie, it should be tossed out.
Homosexual monogamy is a lie... Babies only happen one way.
"If you rise up you will see states calling, other people from other states phoning and e-mailing and coming to find out how you did it because they too want to take their state back," said Tamara Scott, of the Concerned Women of America's Iowa chapter and a participant in the bus tour.
It appears that these three judges did make law with their
decision on gay marriages for the state of Iowa, when the majority of the people were against it. Such as the case in Ca.
We got this issue right but continue to elect the likes of Boswell, Braley, Loebsack, AG Miller....damn.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.