There are two things that could be done - one easy and one hard. First, well before any judicial election, a public records request should be made for the data. OJD is unlikely to disaggregate the data for the requestor, but that doesn't mean the data analysis can't be done. Second, and more difficult, we need to bring pressure on the Oregon Legislature to mandate better collection and regular reporting for the judiciary. They're not going to do it for themselves.
Wow, thank you for laying this out so clearly with the data and argument. I've long wondered how to select judges on my ballot. It sounds like we don't have any organizations working on this issue in Oregon. I hope someone (unfortunately not me right now) reads this and gets spurred to action, leading to options of what individual readers can do to take action and that we get a part 2 some day.
We already have a quasi-appointment system. A majority of judges are appointed to the bench after the previous judge retires mid-term. In Lane County 16 of the 17 circuit court judges were originally appointed to their first term rather than first elected. It is rare that an incumbent judge does not win re-election.
I agree with you that the state legislature should make this judicial reporting readily available to the public. How could we make this mandatory?
There are two things that could be done - one easy and one hard. First, well before any judicial election, a public records request should be made for the data. OJD is unlikely to disaggregate the data for the requestor, but that doesn't mean the data analysis can't be done. Second, and more difficult, we need to bring pressure on the Oregon Legislature to mandate better collection and regular reporting for the judiciary. They're not going to do it for themselves.
Wow, thank you for laying this out so clearly with the data and argument. I've long wondered how to select judges on my ballot. It sounds like we don't have any organizations working on this issue in Oregon. I hope someone (unfortunately not me right now) reads this and gets spurred to action, leading to options of what individual readers can do to take action and that we get a part 2 some day.
We already have a quasi-appointment system. A majority of judges are appointed to the bench after the previous judge retires mid-term. In Lane County 16 of the 17 circuit court judges were originally appointed to their first term rather than first elected. It is rare that an incumbent judge does not win re-election.
Thanks for the great article! I agree, voters deserve much more information on judges to allow the current system to work effectively.