Wow! Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey thinks bad judges should be removed! It's good she's focusing on judges who let off rapists and murderers.
But we wish she'd also address judges who defy the Constitution and contribute to the destruction American society!
[From the Boston Herald, "Healey Pushes Judge Review," 3-14-06.]
Citing several high-profile cases involving questionable sentences, Healey wants a “thumbs up, thumbs down” panel to review all the state’s judges every seven years.
Her proposal, which would require majority support from the Legislature and the approval of voters, would create a clear-cut removal process for judges for the first time in state history.
“Every year or so one of these cases comes up and you say, ‘Why don’t we have more evaluation of our judges?’ ” said Healey, who is running for governor. “Massachusetts is nearly isolated in having lifetime tenure for their judges. I think that results in a judicial culture that is unaccountable.”
Many states have elected judges. Massachusetts is one of just three - along with New Hampshire and Rhode Island - where judges are given lifetime appointments, Healey said....
She unveiled the proposal to create an appointed Judicial Evaluation Commission a day after the Herald reported that Winchendon serial child rapist Glen Wheeler was put back on probation with an electronic monitoring bracelet March 3 despite repeated probation violations and fleeing to Florida....
[Retired state Judge Rudolph] Kass also argued that there are already systems in place to evaluate judges. The Judicial Conduct Commission handles complaints against judges, while the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Supreme Judicial Court have recently begun issuing “report cards” on justices....
There is also a provision in the state constitution for removing judges, through the Bill of Address, requiring a majority of the Legislature with approval of the Governor and the Governor's Council.
