Saturday, August 05, 2006

Tennessee appellate judges all get re-elected

From the TBAtoday:

"Despite organized efforts to target the defeat of two members of the Tennessee Supreme Court and members of the intermediate appellate courts, all judges were returned to the bench by unprecedented margins. TBA President Larry Wilks pronounced himself 'pleased, but not surprised' with the wisdom of Tennessee voters. 'The election was not only an endorsement of the performance of the individual judges, but also a vote of confidence in the Tennessee Plan for merit selection, evaluation and retention of our appellate bench,' said Wilks.

The campaigns by the Tennessee Medical Association, Tennessee Right to Life, TeamGOP and a Knoxville property rights group, as well as a voter guide put out by the Family Action Council of Tennessee appeared to have little if any effect on vote totals which approached 75 percent for retention. The TBA urged voters to consider the performance evaluation recommendations of the Tennessee Judicial Evaluation Commission set up under the Tennessee Plan when making their yes/no selections.

Meanwhile, the debate in several of the trial, general sessions and local judicial elections was also influenced by TBA's Fair Judicial Campaign Code of Conduct, which asked judges not to commit on how they might rule in specific cases."

Penny White is still the only appellate judge from Tennessee not to be re-elected.

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