Supreme Weekly: News from Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida and Hawaii
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March 10, 2011
by Katy Farrell
Arkansas
Governor Mike Beebe appointed two special justices to the Arkansas Supreme Court yesterday. Kathy Alexander and John Belew will stand in for justices Karen Baker and Courtney Henry, who recused themselves from hearing a case.[1]
Florida
Speaker of the House Dean Cannon proposed a bill to alter the structure of the Florida Supreme Court. His goal is to divide the Court into two separate courts, one to hear civil cases and one to hear criminal cases. Currently, only two other states have two high courts: Oklahoma and Texas.
In addition to splitting the court, Cannon wants to make public investigations of judicial misconduct. He also aspires to require appellate court judges to receive at least 60% of the vote in retention elections. He says, "This is a thoughtful, structural reform that I believe will improve the administration of justice, help unclog our civil dockets, and help make sure our criminal justice system doesn't make mistakes and administers justice fairly and swiftly."[2]
Because it is a proposed constitutional amendment, the measures would need to be approved by three-fifths of both chambers of the state legislature, then 60% of voters. At a time when most states are experiencing budget shortfalls, introducing a bill to increase the size of the judiciary may be ill-timed. The leader of the House Democrats, Ron Saunders agreed. He says, "In my opinion, it's not a good time to expand the number (of) judges when the ones we have aren't properly funded."[2]
If the courts were expanded in the next four years, Republican Governor Rick Scott would appoint three new judges.
Connecticut
Tomorrow is the first hearing for Connecticut Supreme Court nominee Lubbie Harper. The General Assembly Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing. During that session, members of the public are able to speak on behalf of the nomination.[3][4]
In Connecticut, judicial nominees are nominated by the governor after candidates are vetted by a judicial selection commission. After nomination, the state legislature votes whether to confirm the nominee.[5] Twenty-three states utilize this method of judicial selection.
To learn more about the candidate, read Supreme Weekly: Five appointments in twenty-four hours.
Hawaii
Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald this week announced the names of applicants for four district judge vacancies. In Hawaii, the Chief Justice appoints district judges. Sixteen people are in the running for three vacancies to the O`ahu First Circuit District Court and six candidates have been announced for the Kaua`i Fifth Circuit Family Court.
These appointments will be Recktenwald's first as Chief Justice. In publicizing the names of applicants to the courts, he diverges from the actions of Governor Neil Abercrombie. The governor has received criticism for refusing to disclose the names of judicial applicants.
To learn more, read Gov. Abercrombie reluctant to release names of candidates.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Times Record Online, "Beebe Announces Appointments," March 9, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tampabay.com, "House Speaker Dean Cannon wants to expand state Supreme Court to 10 justices, two panels," March 8, 2011
- ↑ Connecticut Network, Friday, March 11, 2011
- ↑ New Haven Register, "State Supreme Court nominee faces 1st hearing," March 8, 2011
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Connecticut," archived October 2, 2014
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