[ccmay]

You can get rid of judges that go off the rails if you have judicial retention elections. That's how we do it in Arizona. The appointment is made by the Governor, and then every four years they have to win a majority in an unopposed retention election. Most of the time it is just a formality, but every now and then a bad apple gets the boot.

It sure beats allowing the dirty filthy greedy trial-lawyer pond scum to buy their own pet judges Texas-style.

-ccm

[Spktyr]

As with many other things, the media is exaggerating the “problem” of bought judges. It’s actually not a significant problem in Texas.

If it were a problem, the news here would be full of accusations and exposes. Odd, isn’t it, that all the complaining is coming from outside Texas?

It should be noted that the ENTIRE Texas judiciary is elected.

We also have a LOT of different ways to remove a particularly offensive judge well before an election. See: http://www.ajs.org/js/TX_methods.htm

This is much more effective than the appointed political/business crony types seen in other states. Trial lawyers “buying” in a judge just doesn’t happen much in Texas.