Your Opinion: Selection, not election, of circuit judges opposed

Dear Editor:

I have just become aware of a strange, unbelievable proposition being talked up by several people in Cole County.

They want to take away the rights of the citizens of Cole County to vote on and elect their own circuit judges. Our circuit judges settle our disputes, disputes between us, between spouses, between companies, between us and our state government, between the police and the criminals, and many others.

In our small county, we know our judges. We see them in our churches, our grocery stores, our restaurants and they belong to our local organizations. Their kids go to school with our kids.

When we vote, we know whom we are voting for and why. And as the last election has shown, we are not fooled by outside money.

But these people think we should not have that right, so greatly sacrificed for. They are suggesting a "non-partisan court plan" by which six people choose our judges, six people. Who are these all wise and all omnipotent six people they want to hand over our rights to.

Well, the governor (a partisan political leader) appoints two non-lawyers. The Bar Association chooses two lawyers (a partisan choice as they will have to practice their law before their chosen judge.) And to head the panel, an appellate judge (all appellant judges are appointed by the governor.)

Then that panel of five chooses three lawyers and the governor picks from that three. So the governor has four votes out of six: himself, his two appointed non-lawyers and his appointed appellate judge. This is supposed to take the courts out of the hands of the partisan voters of Cole County and make it non-partisan?

What is so evil about the wishes of the voters of Cole County that would cause people to want to take away our rights and to adopt this plan? We are a republic and we as voters as supposed to make those choices, not a selected six.

Perhaps in St. Louis a plan like this might make sense but we are not St. Louis. This is Cole County.