Fair Judicial Elections in America

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The Committee for Fair Judicial Elections in the Americas is a nonpartisan organization working to keep our courts fair and impartial across the Americas. We are working hard to help protect our courts through public education, grassroots organizing, coalition building and reform. We are attempting to keep politics and politicians out of our courts. We provide strategic coordination and bring unique organizational, communications and research resources to the work of our members and allies at the national, state and local levels.

The people--not politicians--must decide who will serve on our courts. Beware of those judicial candidates who are supported, and whose campaigns are financed, by politicians, political party leaders and special interest groups. Judges must answer only to the people and their decisions must not be influenced by politicians, political party leaders or special interest groups.

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The Committee for

Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting

Judicial Elections in America was organized in 1982.

Our Mission

We've come together because, across the Americas, your right to fair and impartial justice is at stake. Judges and citizens are deeply concerned about the growing impact of money and politics on fair and impartial courts.

Our mission is to educate the public and work for reforms to keep politics and special interests out of the courtrooms so judges can do their job protecting the Constitution, individual rights and the rule of law.

The Justice at Stake Campaign is making news, with landmark, bipartisan surveys of state judges and voters that revealed deep concerns about the increasing impact of money and political influence on Americas courts. (See a summary of both polls.) The Campaign also released a new report detailing the dramatic increase in campaign contributions and special interest pressure in the election of state Supreme Court justices. (Its in PDF format.)

This website can help you learn more about the threat to fair and impartial justice, whats happening in your state, and what you can do to help protect the courts that protect your rights.

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The Cozy World of Judges and Political Party Leaders in New York

Editorial in the New York Times (01/15/2000) argues that "political patronage is so deeply entrenched in some corners of New York State's court system that well-connected lawyers consider it a personal entitlement to receive lucrative legal assignments from the judges they help elect." A recent letter by two Brooklyn lawyers upset at being excluded from lucrative patronage deals underscored the extent to which judges channel legal business to party leaders in New York City. The editorial notes that courthouse patronage "is practically hardwired into the state's system of electing judges," which forces judges to rely on political party leaders in order to win election and reelection.

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