By: Robert Jay

     This November when you have the pleasure of saying" yes" or "no" to the candidates on your ballot, do our society a favor and vote against all the incumbent judges.

     There is no way of finding out if the decisions made in the courtroom were good or bad. No independent, outside organization evaluates judges. They might be "hanging" judges (my kind) or the lenient type that excuses violent defendants that come before the bench. Because you are working your fingers to the bone, there is no way you can do an evaluation. Local bar associations appear reluctant to pull an evaluation for fear of future retribution by the court.

     I suggest that local bar associations get some backbone and form an anonymous committee to rate judges, publicizing the results before election day. The book, Out of Order by Max Boot, offers the following suggestion on Page 214: "They could be assessed according to temperament, work ethic, scholarship, competence, and comprehensibility of written opinions."

     In addition I would like to know how the judge treats the Exclusionary and Miranda rules. Both hold, according to Mr. Boot, "...that evidence obtained 'illegally' -- with illegality being defined by judges, not legislators, often in unpredictable ways -- cannot be admitted in court proceedings." These procedures are often used as roadblocks to prevent the otherwise obvious conviction of violent offenders by idealistic judges who don't recognize that their primary duty is protecting the safety of the populace.

     Since our Judaical system has a long way to go in dispensing justice, strike a blow for reform and vote no (be on strike) on all judges until the powers that be get their act together and start doing a serious evaluation of judges.

Sincerely,
Robert Jay, aka gadfly@mail.iswest.com
474 E. Wilbur Rd.#104,
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Tel.# 805.495-8207