2012 Voter’ s Guide to State Judicial Elections - Flood of Money, Negative Ads Threaten Right to Fair Trial

Three darkly silhouetted “murderers” describe their gruesome crimes, and then tell viewers that “Judge Thomas Kilbride sided with us over law enforcement or victims.” Except that these were actors, not real criminals. And the groups funding these outrageous television attack ads – aired during a 2010 retention vote for the Illinois Supreme Court – opposed Kilbride’s record on protecting injured people, not his rulings on criminal cases.

State judicial races have become the new battleground in the ongoing assault against your right to a fair trial. Big business and other narrow special interest groups are spending millions to pack the courts with judges who see things their way. Lost in the fray is the constitutional guarantee of a fair and impartial judiciary along with protections against medical malpractice, defective products,unsafe working conditions, unfair arbitration clauses and other malfeasance. While the presidential elections take center stage this November, You Should Know more about what’s at stake in state judicial elections.