Sunday, August 03, 2003

More on judicial selection and the vacancy in Alexandria

This Lessig & Scanlon column in the Daily Press says that "Republicans from Southwest Virginia and Hampton Roads are trying to pick [Alexandria's] next circuit court judge. And, naturally, Democrats are upset," and quotes a Democrat delegate from Alexandria as saying "I would not presume to go to Virginia Beach or Smyth County to select judges."

The writers suggest that "[t]raditionally, judges are selected by local lawmakers. When Republicans took control they said they were keeping that system of local selection in place."

Apparently, the authors think it is an odd thing for Terry Kilgore, whom they describe as representing "a district that's wedged between Tennessee and Kentucky," to be involved in the selection of a state circuit court judge for an office so far away from the Cumberland Gap. I would think that this is no more odd than that Senator Schumer of New York or Senator Leahy from Vermont is involved in opposing federal circuit court judge nominees for courts in D.C. or Alabama or Texas.

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