THE BANANA REPUBLIC OF BROOKLYN
Jeff Feldman seated on the end, helping to run the September 16, 2008 Brooklyn Judicial Delegate Convention.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said Judicial Conventions are bad, declaring that ...
“The Constitution Does Not Prohibit
Legislatures From Enacting Stupid Laws.”
New York Times Editorial January 17, 2008
A Defeat for Judicial Reform
By upholding New York’s machine-dominated system for selecting judges, the Supreme Court has dealt another setback to voters. The court has once again allowed political bosses to rig elections in ways that deny voters a meaningful role. New York’s political power brokers are no doubt cheering, but they should not be allowed to triumph. Even if New York’s method of selecting judges is constitutional, it remains unfair and undemocratic. It needs to be replaced.
New York State Supreme Court justices — who despite their titles are trial-level judges — are selected through a byzantine process. Primary voters select judicial delegates, who then meet in party conventions to choose their nominees. The conventions are generally controlled by political bosses, who often steer the nominations to candidates who deliver patronage back to the party machine. It’s a disgraceful way to choose judges. They are supposed to be above politics.
