Nice Bit of Timing

Hot on the heels of Dubya revealing his nominee for the Supreme Court, a special committee of the West Virginia State Bar is recommending that we do away with elections for our Supreme Court of Appeals and replace them with an appointment system. Under the proposal, a committee of 13 members (part lawyers, part laypersons) would recommend three nominees to the Governor, who would then appoint one of those folks to the bench. Details, such as the length of terms and whether there would be retention elections, haven't been worked out yet. I've never been a big fan of judicial elections, so maybe this is a step in the right direction. It would hardly be a giant step. The Governor already appoints judges to fill unexpired terms after a retirement or death. In fact, 70% of the current West Virginia judiciary were appointed to their current posts (and subsequently reelected).