Iowa voters fire 3 judges that made same-sex marriage legal

Michigan and Iowa are 2 of just a handful of states that elect, rather than appoint, Supreme Court judges (it's a bit different in Iowa as the vote is one for retention and appointment is by a merit list but anyway). This election cycle, the liberal establishment here in MI bemoaned that getting justices on the bench shouldn't be partisan. Except that it is even when they're appointed. The only difference is that when they are elected, they are accountable to the people. When they are appointed they are not. For the record, I like the election process far better. Here in Michigan, Granholm and RINO ex-justice Weaver conspired to flip the Supreme Court to Democrat control. Michigan voters repudiated the backroom deal and returned the court back to Republican control. And in Iowa, the people turned against judicial activism that lead to Iowa becoming a laughingstock:

From CNN via memeorandum: Iowa voters oust justices who made same-sex marriage legal

Voters in Iowa chose to remove three high court justices who helped make Iowa the first Midwestern state to permit same-sex marriage.

The vote marks the first time a member of the Iowa Supreme Court has been rejected by the voters under the current system that began in 1962.

THAT is what we call accountability.

Under the voting system in Iowa, each of the three justices up for retention -- Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, David Baker and Michael Streit -- needed simply to get more "yes" votes than "no" votes in the election to be elected for another eight-year term. They faced no opponents. None of the judges raised money for the campaign.

While all seven justices on the court ruled with Ternus, Baker and Streit, those three were the only ones whose seats were up for retention. None of them received the 50 percent "yes" vote needed to remain on the bench.

The other justices are probably sweating right about now. The money quote from the piece:

"The court legislated from the bench ... they governed from the bench ... and, they even attempted to amend our constitution from the bench as they declared Iowa a 'Same Sex' marriage state. This is not their role. The Legislature makes the law. The Governor executes the law. And, only 'we the people' can amend our constitution."

Darned straight! Appointed judges would have never been thrown out by the people. I like this system much better.

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/11/iowa-voters-fire-3-judges-that-made.html

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