Why run for appellate court judge?
I believe judges need to be accountable to the people. Minnesota’s judges were always supposed to be elected (MN Const. Art VI Sec. 7). However, the election process was basically a rubber stamp for the incumbent because the judicial election rules prevented voters from knowing much about their judges or any challengers. As a result judges were really only accountable to themselves and therefore if they acted poorly or if the “power” went to their heads there really wasn’t anything you could do about it. Q: Why is there a group trying to take our right to vote on judges away? Who are “they?” A: In 2002 the US Supreme Court ruled Minnesota’s judicial election process unconstitutional because it prevented voters from knowing about their candidates. Thankfully that ruling cleared the way for voters to learn about their judges’ positions and vote more intelligently in an election. Because some did not like that decision a powerful group in Minnesota is now trying to take away our right to
