Accountability v.Independence: Myths of Judicial Selection

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1992

Description

The various methods of selecting state trial court judges continue to generate controversy.Partisan and nonpartisan elections, executive and legislative appointments, and the Missouri Plan represent a philosophy of judicial accountability versus judicial independence.The selection plans are described briefly; criticisms of the primary systems of judicial selection are presented.The authors conclude that appointive methods are no more effective than the elective process in placing qualified judges on the bench, while neither method is successful in fulfilling philosophical expectations.

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