Kudos to Governor Matt Blunt on the selection of Appeals Court Judge Patricia Breckenridge for the Missouri Supreme Court. Had the governor not appointed Breckenridge, a significantly worse choice would undoubtedly have been made by the Appellate Judicial Commission most notable for its secret meetings and liberal lawyer majority.

Other states, such as Rhode Island, allow the governor to reject all of the recommendations and request a new panel, but the Missouri Plan does not provide for this. In this instance, Gov. Blunt made the best choice given the options he had.

The problem is with the system. Why should lawyers occupy 4/7 of the commission? Why should attorneys with rock-solid ties to the plaintiff’s bar be picking our judges – the very judges whose rulings provide or take away millions of dollars in lawsuit awards. Our current system is akin to allowing defense contractors select the Secretary of Defense.

Here’s a simple reform of the Missouri Plan that would take away lawyer dominance and come much, much closer to the ideal “nonpartisan” plan envisioned by the original authors. Read more…

Related :

LegalNewsLine.com: “Gov. wanted another Roberts for Mo. SC, picks” Breckenridge instead

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