Ballot Initiative Update

A New York Times editorial yesterday echoed our previously posted concerns about ballot initiatives in multiple states that are posing huge threats to judicial independence. A recent CNN poll indicated that Americans overwhelmingly support an independent judiciary --but these measures, which are supported by agenda-driven conservatives, have garnered public support because they "hide behind the superficially appealing but profoundly misleading banner of judicial accountability." At heart, though, they are "aimed at punishing judges for their official rulings and making them more captive to prevailing political winds." The editorial expressed hope that voters will reject these measures and send a message that will "resound nationwide" about the importance of judicial independence.