Press Release - Bryson: Elect Appellate Judges

Press Release - Bryson: Elect Appellate Judges

Selection process hopelessly mired in politics

(NASHVILLE, TN) - State Senator and GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Bryson (R-Franklin) today announced that, as Governor, he would push to allow Tennessee voters to elect all appellate judges. The Tennessee constitution states that all judges, including the state Supreme Court, shall be elected. The constitutionality of the current judicial selection process and current yes/no retention system has been called into question in recent weeks.

"The method we use to fill state Supreme Court vacancies is bogged down in special interest politics," said Sen. Bryson. "Our constitution is very clear on this issue and legislative changes in recent decades have injected more politics into the process, not removed them."

The Judicial Selection Commission voted last week to allow two trial lawyers who Gov. Bredesen rejected to again apply for the state's highest court. Some members of the panel suggested the Governor had violated the constitution by solely considering race in his decision. The panel is chosen by Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh and Speaker of the Senate John Wilder from lists provided by several legal associations.

"Our constitution says Tennessee voters are to be trusted when it comes to electing judges and I agree with that," said Sen. Bryson. "It works well in other states and I will lead the legislature in restoring that right to Tennessee citizens."

http://www.brysonforgovernor.com/news/show.asp?id=43