The Issues Of Judges Election In Texas
The State of Texas requires its voters to elect those judges who serve in courthouses throughout the state. Not every state does it this way but Texas does. Texas judges are elected to a six-year term, meaning every 6 years, you choose the men and women who will sit on the bench and you decide who will preside over the civil and criminal courts in your community making crucial decisions affecting countless lives. Unfortunately, most citizens do not actively participate in this important process. Most citizens don't understand and are misinformed about who they should vote for because there are laws which prevent judicial candidates from aligning themselves with political parties or advertising on how they think they would rule on issues that will come before them.
The most that a justice that is running can do is tell us their qualifications and why they think they can do the job. This leads the public to often rush to conclusions and make misinformed decisions on judges they vote for. As a Texas resident, it stands to reason that we would want the most qualified candidate to decide important cases that can affect the public law. The public can be easily influenced by factors which do not matter, like how much money they raised also catchy phrases or bias TV commercials which do not accurately depict the candidate.
Another common way of choosing a candidate that is a poor decision, is asking the nearest lawyer or law firm who to choose without first doing your own research. Instead, residents must first consider the candidate's record for fairness. Will he or she listen to both sides of the argument at hand and strive to be impartial? Fairness is listening to both sides of every argument and applying the facts of the case and considering whether the law is just.
Another major concern Texan voters must consider is timeliness. This means the judge will value the time of those who appear in the courtroom and save many resources, including taxpayer money. A judge that will waste time in the court can be very detrimental. The last and most crucial fact for voters to consider is the candidate’s knowledge. The judicial candidate must have a right and extensive understanding of the law at hand. He or she must also maintain the ability to keep up-to-date changes in the law in order to make an educated decision. A good judicial candidate will also have many notable distinctions from their professional career. The consequences of the public's lack of information about a candidate's background and qualifications lead to judges being elected who often can make poor choices and have detrimental long-lasting effects on our laws.
Without considering all the important information about a candidate, residents often resort to voting for the most popular of the bunch, or just a judge whose name sounds familiar because they have seen numerous bias TV commercials about them. Without doing the right research before voting, campaign contributors are often the ones deciding the elections rather than the Texan population.
