Who picks judges?
The governor of California selects a judge for an initial six year term. Under the California constitution, a judge must be re-elected by the people every six years.
In practice, the big corporate law firms have a tremendous influence over the governor that is not shared by the general population. The official committees that interview and make recommendations to the governor meet in secret, do not release their minutes, and do not disclose the names of their members. This system is not particularly democratic. (Read more.)
Worse yet, once a judge is in office he or she is seldom challenged. The media does not cover judicial campaigns the way they cover other elections, nor does the media cover judicial decision making the way it covers the other two branches of government. As a result, the public is not aware of the sometimes poor decisions made by particular judges.
Many have described the system as an elitist one that concentrates power in the hands of the well connected and the politically “generous.” In California this June 3, 2008, there will be hundreds of judges in every county that must stand for re-election. Few if any will be challenged.
On the other hand, San Francisco has a tradition of electing judges and disfavoring the governor’s picks. Many San Francisco judges have won their seats at the ballot box including: Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Davis, Gail Dekreon, Donna Hitchens, Carol Yaggy, and Kay Tsenin.
