The “money revolution” in state courts

Bert Brandenburg of Network Partner Justice at Stake has written an op-ed that ran in the Chicago Tribune today on the influence of money on the judicial system.

The op-ed points to strong contention on high courts, and judges’ dual roles as jurists and fundraisers. The piece mentions that stronger recusal rules, some of which are being pushed by the American Bar Association as possible solutions to the problem. Though a State Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin recently stepped down from a case, the state’s recusal standards have been loosened, and no strong rule will apply to future cases.

In addition, Brandenburg specifically points to three Midwest states (Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) in which money has had a particularly large influence:

The money revolution in state Supreme Court races has hit the Midwest especially hard. In Illinois, candidates and special-interest groups spent $20.6 million on high court elections in 2000-09, fifth highest in the nation, while in Michigan, spending on high court races totaled $18.6 million. In Wisconsin, $14.8 million has been spent on Supreme Court elections since 2007.