OPINION: If you pay peanuts for a job, you’re likely to attract monkeys
Jim Jones
Judges are the heart of the American system of justice. Faith in our court system depends upon having judges who are competent and impartial. That, in turn, requires thorough vetting of judicial candidates to put the best qualified people on the bench. For more than 50 years, Idaho has had procedures in place to ensure the appointment of highly qualified judges at every level of the court system.
Magistrate judges, who handle misdemeanors and a wide range of specialty cases, are vetted and appointed by regional magistrate commissions. District and appellate judges are thoroughly vetted by the non-political Idaho Judicial Council. The Council sends a list of up to four candidates for each position to the governor for selection of the finalist.
The system has worked well. Former Governor Butch Otter, who appointed more than 55 district and appellate judges during his 12 years in office, regularly received praise from other governors across the country for the high quality of Idaho’s judiciary. During his eight years as Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, Roger Burdick received similar compliments from his high court colleagues from other states.
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