Last Friday, I wrote a blog detailing the upcoming election in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I specifically mentioned Amendment 4 and Charter Amendment 5, noting that I am in favor of both. Today, in addition to again requesting your vote for both measures, I'd like to advocate in favor of Amendment 7.
Amendment 7 would require the municipal judges in Santa Fe to actually be attorneys and members of the New Mexico State Bar. Today, you may be surprised to find that our municipal judges must only: (1) hold a high school diploma or its equivalent; and (2) attend -- not pass, but only attend -- a qualification training program conducted by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Therefore, our municipal judges must essentially have the same level of qualifications as does a greeter at Wal-Mart.
As you might expect, given that this is New Mexico, the judges themselves have mostly come out strongly against this ballot measure. Indeed, many won't meet the qualifications. However, I can't imagine any thinking person not seeing the wisdom of requiring all judges to possess formal schooling in the law and to have passed rigorous exams thereafter. Judges are the ultimate stewards of the law and the people should demand a high bar indeed for their work on behalf of society.
2 March 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment