Retired Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Stanley Feldman to speak against Prop. 115

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

GavelIf you are a citizen who is concerned about the independence of the judiciary and attempts by extremists to undermine the Judicial Merit Selection System and to politicize the selection of judges in Arizona, you will want to attend the Pima County Democratic Party Nucleus Club meeting this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Viscount Suite Hotel, 4855 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson.

The featured speaker is retired Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Stanley Feldman, who will speak against Prop. 115 on the topic: ”Is our judicial system becoming over-politicized?”

I posted about Chief Justice Feldman's opposition to Prop. 115 earlier this year when it was still working its way through the judiciary committees of the Legislature. Arizona's Judicial Merit Selection System Threatened.

Prop. 115 represents an act of craven cowardice by the State Bar of Arizona, the Arizona Judges Association, and the Arizona Judicial Council who caved under threats from extremists like Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy and Tea-Publicans in the Legislature who wanted to put the full repeal of the Judicial Merit Selection Sytem on the ballot in November.

This so-called "great compromise" is in reality a "great capitulation." It should result in the replacement of the board members of the State Bar of Arizona, the Arizona Judges Association, and the Arizona Judicial Council for such cowardice in failing to stand up to extremism. This is what lawyers and judges are supposed to do – we are the last line of defense. I am ashamed for my profession.

The Arizona Republic reports Proposition would give Arizona governor more power in judge selection:

A ballot proposition going before Arizona voters this fall would, if approved, give the governor more power and discretion in the process of selecting judges in large counties.

The Final Race to The Finish

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

AZFlagThe final vote count from the Primary Election has now been certified for the General Election ballot. There were only a handful of close races decided by late ballots, and only a few write-in candidates from minor parties who qualified for the General Election ballot. One legal challenge remains: Darin Mitchell, a Republican candidate for the House in LD 13 who upset incumbent Republican Rep. Russ Jones, apparently was not a resident of the district and is being challenged on residency grounds by Russ Jones.

See the Secretary of State's web site for the Full Listing of candidates.

So who made it to the starting gate for the final race to the finish?

U.S. President/Vice President

Barack Obama/Joe Biden (D – Inc.)
Willard Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan (R)
Gary Johnson/James Gray (LBT)
Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala (GRN)

U.S. Senate

Richard Carmona (D)
Jeff Flake (R)
Marc Victor (LBT)

U.S. House – Dist. 1

Ann Kirkpatrick (D)
Jonathan Paton (R)
Kim Allen (LBT)

U.S. House – Dist. 2

Ron Barber (D – Inc.)
Martha McSally (R)

U.S. House – Dist. 3

Raúl Grijalva (D – Inc.)
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)
Blanca Arsenia Guerra (LBT)

U.S. House – Dist. 4

Johnnie Robinson (D)
Paul Gosar (R – Inc.)
Joseph Pamelia (LBT)
Richard Grayson (Amer. Elect)

U.S. House – Dist. 5

Spencer Morgan (D)
Matt Salmon (R)

U.S. House – Dist. 6

Matt Jette (D)
David Schweikert (R -Inc.)
Jack Anderson (LBT)
Mark Salazar (GRN)

U.S. House – Dist.7

Ed Pastor (D -Inc.)
Joe Cobb (LBT)

U.S. House – Dist.8

Gene Scharer (D)
Trent Franks (R – Inc.)
Stephen Dolgos (Amer. Elect)

U.S. House – Dist.9

Kyrsten Sinema (D)
Vernon Parker (R)
Powell Gammill (LBT)

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