April 4, 2008

Judge Diane Sykes, who formerly held the seat contested by Louis Butler and Michael Gableman before joining the Seventh Circuit, gave a 2006 speech with a discerning analysis of the leftward drift of the Court after Butler replaced her.

Separately, I'm still waiting for one of the proliferating non-partisan organizations campaigning against judicial elections to speak out against trial-lawyer influence in judicial elections and selections. If judges respected their role in constitutional government, there wouldn't be cause to campaign against those who don't; if judges have the capability of acting as super-legislators, then voters can hardly be blamed for wanting a say on who is a judge.