Florida will choose to either keep or terminate 22 District Court of Appeal judges from their positions. Determining who should stay and who should go may seem like a daunting task if a voter doesn’t even know what to look for in a judge.
Anna Blackburne-Rigsby is a U.S. Court of Appeals judge in Washington, D.C., and president of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ). The organization launched a campaign called the Informed Voters Project. They aim to enlighten voters on the role of a judge in the courts.
“It’s not about the individual judges and whether they continue in their career. It’s about what kind of courts do we as citizens in this democracy want,” says Blackburne-Rigsby.
NAWJ pushes for impartial courts, with judges who are guarding the Constitution rather than appealing to the interests of voters. That’s why there’s no political party next to a judicial candidate’s name. It’s generally frowned upon if a judge has taken a strong political stance on an issue or has ties to any politician.
“The public should be informed about the reasons we have a third, separate branch of government. A branch that is to be above politics and above special interests,” says Barbara J. Pariente, a member of the Florida Supreme Court and co-chair of the Florida Informed Voter’s Project.
You can find more information on the judicial election at TheFloridaBar.org and the Informed Voters Project website. Election day is Nov. 4.
