Posted on 07/25/2012 6:57:50 AM PDT by spacejunkie2001
I usually drive by a union hall. Note the yard signs for judges, then scratch them off my list. Also, you can ask a LEO for the names of the wimps.
Last election when I got my sample ballot, I googled each name and found out who appointed them. Many times, but not always, their politcal party was listed.
I always vote NO on the “Shall be retained” question for Judges.
Well, almost always, if the opposition is against someone, it might sway me the other way.
Good question. I’m in Florida, in a county where you almost have to be a RAT to be elected to the bench, so I get recommendations from trusted, conservative attorneys.
I have the same dilema, here in Florida too.
There should be a law requiring the ballot to indicate WHO IS THE INCUMBENT ?
We also in Florida have to deal with a primary where the final choice will be made in races where there is no opposite party candidate. i.e. Our August 14th decision between multiple Republicans can seat one of the candidates if there is no Demorat opponent in November. NO INDICATOR of that case on the ballot.
I know the ballot is not intended to replace research but when a ballot encourages for many, nothing more than name recognition, it’s wrong.
I have the same dilema, here in Florida too.
There should be a law requiring the ballot to indicate WHO IS THE INCUMBENT ?
We also in Florida have to deal with a primary where the final choice will be made in races where there is no opposite party candidate. i.e. Our August 14th decision between multiple Republicans can seat one of the candidates if there is no Demorat opponent in November. NO INDICATOR of that case on the ballot.
I know the ballot is not intended to replace research but when a ballot encourages for many, nothing more than name recognition, it’s wrong.
That’s the best question of the week. We have a person running for a higher office who was apponted by someone who is now under indictment for accepting bribes. Unless one is following closely, that information is not made public.
Florida FReeper here as well, and I disdain the judge elections. I, too, Google/Bing the judges names and look for anything on them.
Also, try looking up public records on your county’s clerk website. You might be able to find dispositions of public cases with specific judges that’ll give you an idea as to the way they judge. It’s a long process, but it’s worth the time if you want to elect and/or throw out judges based on their actual records.
That question has been driving me nuts for years. I tried calling my local Republican officials and they didn’t know either. It’s a gaping flaw in our electoral system and one that crucially needs correcting.
UGH. I guess I’m just glad I’m not alone. I was hoping against hope that there was some succinct record of each of them so we could discern but, alas...no such animal apparently.
I have feelers out to others and will post anything pertinent.
thanks to all who responded and I’ll try to find out who’s going to be on my ballot and start researching.
I have the same problem. It seems all of the judges have the same last names. Besides an internet seearch, I ask lawyers I trust to get their opinion. They work with many of these judges on a day to day basis.
I lease office space so I know alot of attorneys but most are libs...a few aren’t but I deal mainly with the office admin.
What P3 says is good....and drive around your neighborhood...look on the lawns of your KNOWN LIBERAL neighbors....see who has what signs....also, in OUR state, you can look up them to find out which political party they belong to, FWIW.
The only way I have figured out how to assess the qualifications of a judge is to look at what other office candidate signs their own are placed by. If they continually show up on lawns and yards where liberal democrats of Obama signs litter the landscape it isn't hard to figure out how they would act on the bench.
I lease office space so I know alot of attorneys but most are libs...a few aren’t but I deal mainly with the office admin.
One very sage piece of advice I got from a tactical pistol trainer a few years ago was this: call your county sheriff and ask who they keep on retainer for legal advice. Then go to that attorney and ask for their card. If you’re ever arrested, make sure you have that card available to provide when asked if you have a lawyer. It’ll drive the cops nuts and likely put them in a peculiar position!
That being said, if you call that attorney, chances are they’re going to be uniquely qualified to help you identify which judges are worth their salt based on their rulings. That’s what I’ve done in year’s past.
Look to see who the newspaper endorses and then vote for someone else. I’ve also found it worthwhile to vote against anyone endorsed by other judges oe lawyers.
Trying to figure out which judge to vote for is futile.
Elected judges “owe” many persons in their districts who expect to and do get repaid. Judges need contributions to run their campains. Do you think they forget who contributed? Contributors receive favoritism. No information or transparency can cure that.
Judges should not be elected but appointed by the governor. The system would still be corrupt, but the judge would owe favoritism to a much smaller group of people.
The system is going to remain corrupt and no amount of information or voting will change that.
Yes, I agree. Knowing which judges to vote for is very difficult since they normally don’t tell you what they stand for. Voting for judges is so often like voting in the dark. I have found that my local conservative voter guides provide little guidance. The best thing I can recommend is to research the endorsements by liberal organizations: Who do Planned Parenthood, the unions, gay organizations, the ACLU, the local Democrat party, etc. endorse? If they are for a candidate it is because that candidate is in their pocket. A second suggestion won’t help you much now, but will help you in the future: Take note of the rulings of judges from news articles and the experiences of your friends and associates.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.