All Eyes on North Carolina's Judicial Reform Plan
For Immediate Release.
March 22, 2004
Contact: Jesse Rutledge, Justice at Stake, 202-588-9454
All Eyes on North Carolina's Judicial Reform Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As North Carolina prepares to make history by being the first state to run fully publicly financed judicial elections, a coalition of national groups and prominent observers -- including Senator John McCain -- are working to help it collect the necessary funds from state taxpayers and lawyers.
"Special-interest money has no place in a court of law," said U.S. Sen. John McCain, who visited North Carolina in October of 2003 to help raise money for the new system. "By checking the box on your tax forms, North Carolinians can increase competition and participation in judicial races, putting justice back in the hands of the people."
Reformers and experts are uniting because they believe the North Carolina system is a national model that could be adopted by other states concerned about the tidal wave of money and acrimony swamping judicial elections.
“Under this new system in North Carolina, judges won’t be forced to raise money like politicians,” said Geri Palast, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Justice at Stake campaign, a nonpartisan national partnership working to keep America’s courts fair and impartial. “The North Carolina plan will boost public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of their courts.”
A recent analysis by Democracy North Carolina, a campaign finance watchdog and Justice at Stake partner, showed that over $300,000 raised in the state’s 2002 judicial elections from PACs and political parties -- many of whom routinely have business in the state’s highest courts -- would not be permitted under the new system, which emphasizes small contributions from registered voters.
“Judicial independence is a hallmark of American democracy, and it is imperative that our judges and courts be safe-guarded from even the appearance that justice can be bought and sold with campaign contributions,” said Charles Kolb, President of the Washington, D.C.-based Committee for Economic Development (CED), a nonpartisan business group that backs campaign and judicial selection reform.
A massive public education campaign encouraging citizens to “say yes” to the N.C. Public Campaign Fund is underway within the state. Former Governors Jim Hunt (D) and Jim Holshouser (R) are appearing in a televised PSA sponsored by the N.C. Center for Voter Education in which they jointly endorse the plan, and public interest groups are traveling the state to promote citizen participation. A campaign website, www.ncjudges.org, details the plan.
“Public financing offers a credible way to shield judges and judicial candidates from the excesses and influences of money in judicial elections,” said Dennis Archer, President of the American Bar Association (ABA). “The ABA issued the first comprehensive report on public financing of judicial campaigns and has adopted a policy calling on states to implement such programs. North Carolina has emerged as a national leader on this issue."
North Carolina primary elections are scheduled for July 20. Candidates who clear the fundraising threshold and who place in the top two in the primary election become eligible to receive full public financing in the general election.
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For Further Information:
Justice at Stake is on the web at www.justiceatstake.org.
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