Tag: Chief Justice

“No method of judicial selection is perfect,” Hecht told the joint session of the House and Senate. “Still, partisan elections is among the very worst methods.” Texas is one of a handful of states that requires judges to declare a political party in elections. Hecht said that system should be cast aside in favor of nonpartisan races in which candidates would not be required to have party affiliation. During the 2018 midterm elections, more than 400 Democratic judges unseated incumbents around the state as turnout surged and a majority of voters opted for the “straight-ticket” voting option. “When partisan politics is the driving force, and the political climate is as harsh as ours has become, judicial elections make judges more political, and judicial independence is the casualty,” Hecht said. The system of straight-ticket voting, which allows voters to quickly choose all the Republican or Democratic candidates on their ballot, is in the process of being phased out by 2020. “Qualifications did not drive their election,” Hecht said of the hundreds of new judges. “Partisan politics did.” Texas is well known for sweeps on judicial seats. It went the other way in 2008, with 22 of 26 Republican judicial incumbents losing their posts as Democrat Barack Obama won the White House. pcobler@express-news.net

She wasn’t planning to attend the inaugural ceremony for Gov. And when Lt. Gov. “I’m not a terribly emotional person,” Holden said after the ceremony concluded. But she “finds it very moving” that the new administration “is going to try to make Wisconsin a state that will work together.” “I’m an economist,” she added. “I think good policy is not a partisan issue.” She noted that the state needs an educated workforce and that Evers, the state’s former schools superintendent, has worked in a field where “you can’t be partisan… and you have to work with everybody.” In keeping with his conciliatory tone since ousting two-term Gov. We’ve been indifferent to resentment and governing by retribution.” Walker was presumably one person Evers had in mind with this reference to the politics of resentment. That was left to Josh Kaul, who, after being sworn in as attorney general, declared that the inauguration was taking place “in atypical circumstances.” “Last month the powers of two of our state constitutional officers were diminished after the elections of those offices had been held,” Kaul said. Barnes, who is black, was sworn in after State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and Secretary of State Doug La Follette. Godlewski, who started by noting she was a fifth-generation Wisconsinite, promised to revitalize the treasurer’s office. “It’s hard to believe we nearly lost this constitutional office but together we made our voices heard.” In April, Wisconsin voters rejected a measure to eliminate the treasurer’s office.

In an unusual public statement, Chief Justice John Roberts rebutted President Trump's statement that a ruling against the administration was made by 'an Obama judge.' The president responded several hours later in a string of tweets, claiming there are, in…

President Trump and Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts engage in public spat over judicial independence; reaction from national security attorney Bradley Moss and John Yoo, former deputy assistant attorney general. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service…

In a rare move, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement today contradicting President Trump after Trump questioned the independence of a judge who ruled against him. Georgetown University Law Professor Neal Katyal has argued dozens of cases before the…

After Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts chided the president for injecting politics into the courts, President Trump took to Twitter to respond; Kevin Corke reports from West Palm Beach, Florida. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news…

Seth takes a closer look at how a darling of the far-right, Judge Roy Moore, won a GOP senate primary in Alabama. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night with Seth Meyers: http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-seth-meyers/ » Watch Late Night with…