FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
(573) 636-6060
August 23, 2007

(Jefferson City) – The non-partisan, not-for-profit Adam Smith Foundation
announced today that it has re-launched their recent radio ads and is
intensifying its efforts to remove partisanship and corruption from
Missouri’s judicial selection process.

The Appellate Judicial Commission still has not answered serious questions
regarding their blatant disregard for the spirit of Missouri’s Sunshine Open
Records Law. Justice Stith and her Commission have yet to explain how the
confidential list of applicants was leaked to a select group of influential
trial attorneys and at least one political blog. Similarly, Missourians
still do not know whether anyone was punished for breaking the Supreme
Court’s own confidentiality rules. The Adam Smith Foundation is demanding
that the Commission make itself accountable to Missourians by providing
answers to these tough questions.

“We are continuing these ads because we believe that the process for
selecting Supreme Court judges must be open and those involved subject to
accountability if Missourians are to have confidence in its results,” stated
John Elliott. “Our phone lines have just been inundated over the past week
with citizens encouraging us to continue asking these important questions,
so we feel obligated to continue running these ads on their behalf.”

The Appellate Judicial Commission and liberal trial attorneys associated
with the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys continue to defend the
secret meetings by claiming that a Supreme Court rule trumps the open
records law. John Elliott of the Adam Smith Foundation contends, “The
integrity of the judicial selection process is critical to preserving a fair
and impartial judiciary. The Commission should take steps to end the
backroom political deals to avoid the appearance of impropriety.” The Adam
Smith Foundation believes the Commission will continue selecting judges
based on backroom deals and the pressure of special interest groups if
Missourians are not given the ability to view how their government operates.
Judges should be chosen based upon their merit and qualifications but,
according to the Adam Smith Foundation, the current process does not
guarantee the consideration of merit and qualifications over the influence
of political pressure.

To listen to the ad, please visit www.AdamSmithFoundation.org.

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