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TODAY: Angry at being held accountable in court, PA Republicans seek retribution with their judicial districts scheme.
This constitutional change would destroy the courts and disenfranchise 9 million voters in PA.
Legal experts and good gov groups have raised the
. Thread.
This constitutional change would destroy the courts and disenfranchise 9 million voters in PA.
Legal experts and good gov groups have raised the
. Thread.
"These regional elections would, thereby, disenfranchise voters by eliminating their ability to select the full panel of judges issuing decisions of statewide impact and importance.” - @PA4ModernCourts https://www.pmconline.org/stop-judicial-redistricting-protect-independence-our-judiciary
"House Bill 38 goes exactly in the wrong direction by compounding the error of judicial elections statewide by making discrete districts that will cause even more pressure for judges to respond to constituents, not the law." - @pabarassn
"The role of the judiciary is to decide cases based on the law and the facts in front of them, not to provide political representation for Pennsylvanians in a specific region. Partisan elections by judicial districts subverts the role of the judiciary." - @commoncausepa
“Decisions made by these courts impact all Pennsylvanians. Judges are not representatives in the same sense as are legislators or the Executive. Their function is to administer the law, not to advocate the cause of a particular constituency.” - @PhilaBar
“Judges aren’t politicians, even when they’re elected by voters. And their role in our democracy is to serve as an independent check on the political branches. Legislative attempts to manipulate courts undermine that vital function.” - @BrennanCenter https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/wrong-way-reform-judicial-elections
“Even the most jaundiced political eyes see [HB38] for what it is: a naked power play for judicial branch intimidation and control by the legislative branch. A plan to “stack the courts.”” - @FairDistrictsPA https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/contributors/2020/07/21/op-ed-fight-gop-plan-stack-pennsylvania-courts/5478197002/
“Transforming the judiciary into something more closely resembling a legislature is the absolute wrong direction.” - @Committeeof70
"It implicitly says judges elected in such a manner are supposed to serve a constituency identified by geography. That’s not what judges are supposed to do.” - Michael Dimino, Widener Law professor and expert in constitutional and election law https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/gop-house-bill-aims-to-reshape-pa-judiciary/article_45f29172-77d4-11e9-96c8-1f73cbaeb913.html
. @PBPC and @pawethepeople made it easy to contact your legislator about this terrible scheme: https://www.congressweb.com/PBPC/2#/2/
