The Systems of Selecting State Judges in the USA

Abstract

The article aims to introduce the selection of systems used throughout the United States of America to appoint or elect state judges. It opens with a brief overview of the federal specifics of the courts structure in the USA. The federal system of judicial appointment is subsequently described to provide comparative perspective to the state system. Evolution of the state judge selection methods follow, which provides readers with background on the historical development of the subject with emphasis on the political circumstances in particular periods. Next, currently used selection methods are described including the appointment procedures as well as unique partisan and non-partisan judicial elections, and the Missouri Plan based on merit selection. The penultimate section contains statistical analysis embracing all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Finally, the fifth part focuses on two key problems concerning the partisan election method and the response to those problems provided by the United States Supreme Court.