Assignment 1: The State Judicial Selection Process

The State Judicial Selection Process
Student’s Name
Institutional affiliation
The State of the judicial selection process
The judicial selection process involves various methods applied in the selection of judges across different States focused on examining the responsibility of Judiciary in a government. There are different methods of judicial selection which include the nomination of the commission, legislative or gubernatorial, partisan election and nonpartisan election and combined merit selection method. In Pennsylvania, judges are appointed or elected into judicial seats after they meet different qualifications required by the State using the partisan method of judicial selection.
Candidates for judicial positions in Pennsylvania are supposed to be members of the bar of States court. A candidate is required to be a resident of the area and a citizen of Pennsylvania. Unlike other States, selection of judges in Pennsylvania is conducted in odd-numbered years. Judges can retain and run for the seat until they reach retirement age. In cases of disqualification and removal of judges by the judicial commission, a judge may be appointed by the Judicial Commission to occupy the position until conduction of the next election. Besides Supreme Court and Superior Court, Pennsylvania has commonwealth court and the court of common pleas
Judicial candidates in Pennsylvania are required to perform perfectly and be responsible for their duties in the office and not to make promises and pledges of conduct in the office. Campaign conduct does not allow the candidate to promote funding of their campaign. They are supposed to initiate committees to manage and obtain fund which happens a month earlier before the filling of the nominating petitions (NCCS, 2018). Unlike many States in America, Pennsylvania does not produce voters’ guide because smart voters’ website provides required information for election. The state of Pennsylvania does not monitor judicial campaign conducts.
Georgia, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and North Dakota are among other States which apply nonpartisan selection method in electing their judicial representatives. Judiciary of Georgia is made up of a Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Superior Court and Trial Courts. Besides the application of the nonpartisan method in selecting judges, a gubernatorial method is used in cases of mid-term vacancies. This method was introduced in the early 1970s where State’s Governor ordered the judicial nominating commission to recommend candidates. During 2002, Georgia’s Court of Appeal supported judges to seek contribution from attorneys.
The state of Georgia has nine Supreme Court judges, twelve judges in Court of Appeal and two hundred and two judges in the Superior Court. Selection of judges in all levels is conducted through a nonpartisan election method where candidates can still be reelected. All judges undergo gubernatorial appointment from nominating commission during the filling of the interim vacancies. Selection of chief judges is conducted through pear voting apart from Superior Court Judges Selection which varies by circuit.
Judicial nominating commission of Georgia recommends candidates to the Governor to fill in respective court lev...