Links of Interest

Weekly Round-Up

What We Read, March 12-16, 2012 

Judicial Elections and Judiciary Reform:

  • Last week, the Kansas House voted to dismantle Kansas’ six-year-old commission on judicial performance. 18 states have judicial performance commissions, established by statute, court rule or state constitution. Chicago Appleseed provide research support for a pilot Judicial Performance Commission operating in Cook County, which strive to provide meaningful  assessments of the strength and weaknesses of sitting judges.
  • Also last week, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin commented on contributions from family and friends in judicial campaigns.
  • Today, the Chicago Bar Association issued the statement (pdf): “Personal and political PACs (Political Action Committees) have no place in judicial elections and their recent entry in the Illinois Supreme Court election further erodes public confidence in the independence of our judiciary.” Chicago Appleseed supports the CBA in advocating for better recusal.

 

Criminal Justice Reform:

  • We shared these links in our Twitter feed, but in case you missed them, WBEZ had an excellent series this week on how Cook County shifts costs to defendants and the excessive costs to inmates and families in Cook County for maintaining phone contact with inmates. Cook County Board President has responded.
  • Justice Policy Institute attended a Congressional briefing on private prisons.
  • The ACLU notes that some state court Chief Judges are calling for systemic reform in our prison.

Other Links of Interest:

  • This week, the International Criminal Court made its first ruling, finding Lubanga Dyilo guilty, as a co-perpetrator, of the war crimes of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 and using them to participate actively in hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo between September 2002 and  August 2003.
  • A symposium at Harvard last week examined how social media disseminates truth and lies.
  • Next week, the Supreme Court hears argument in a case involving Social Security survivor benefits and children conceived through artificial insemination after the death of the father. The case is interesting to us because we have been reviewing how and when it is appropriate to classify children in the child support enforcement system to ensure equity and fairness.