Advertisement
The Tribune called the primary turnout “anemic.” I call it an absolute disgrace.
Not too many years back, similar low election turnouts prompted a move to replace our filling of judicial vacancies by what was called the Modified Missouri System. Applicants for vacancies were screened by a select statewide, balanced committee of knowledgeable citizens. The top three were submitted to the governor, who appointed one of them. After a few years on the bench, the appointee “ran on his or her record” without opposition. If approved, the judge served for life or until retirement, absent any crime or other violation of judicial ethics.
Of course, when that system was proposed to the citizenry of the state, they cried bloody murder and the concept was abandoned.
I am one of the many lawyers in La Crosse and I have practiced here for almost 60 years. No group has a greater interest to see that we get competent, hard-working judges than the lawyers. I’ll bet if you polled the lawyers in this city and they could vote a anonymously, almost 100 percent of them would favor adoption of the Modified Missouri System. Of course, adopting the Missouri System won’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.
The Tribune encourages letters to the editor on current issues. Please limit letters to 250 words or less.
We reserve the right to edit all letters and require that all letters include the name, address and phone number of the writer for verification purposes.
Letter writers will be limited to no more than one letter a month. Please do not send poetry, or items taken from other publication or from the Internet.
Send letters to the editor to letters@lacrossetribune.com.
