We Got A New Supreme Court Justice In S.C.
NO, NOT HIM, PEOPLE
FITSNews – January 31, 2008 – According to the kids over at The Other Brooks Brothers, the State of South Carolina has a new Supreme Court Justice today after Chief Appeals Judge Kaye Hearn dropped out of the running for the post, leaving the election of John W. Kittredge a mere formality.
Hearn’s candidacy began taking on water like the Titanic after we published accusations earlier this week that State Sen. Hugh Leatherman was using his powerful perch as Senate Finance Chairman to bribe fellow lawmakers into supporting her candidacy.
Apparently, Leatherman’s Democratic allies in the State Senate spent a good bit of time talking trash about FITSNews on the Senate floor yesterday, defending Leatherman’s integrity and railing against our “unsubstantiated accusations.”
On behalf of all of us, Sic Willie responded today by politely urging the State Senate to kiss his right … um, something … and make his left something “jealous.” We never had a dog in this fight, although we’re certainly not sorry for letting everybody know that Leatherman did.
UPDATE – We don’t know who these “Brooks Brothers” are, incidentally, but we can say that Sic was very pleased to learn there’s a “sister” in the bunch. Send him a pic, baby!
Comments
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on January 31st, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Geezie. sic(k) willie claims a scoop (of cat litter) for outing the process that S.C.uses for judges. What a bore. Here’s some real news.
sic(k) willie, all of this got started a brazillion years before Ben Tilman sharpened his first pitchfork and about 300 years before you took your first under the table cash payment you don’t have to report to the IRS.
By Pete on January 31st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Thanks for the history lesson, Brazillion. But you’re wrong. The reason we have judges elected by the legislature is because Ben Tillman as governor could appoint the Supreme Court justices subject to the approval of the legislature. That didn’t work out too well so the legislature stripped the governor of many of the office’s powers. Thank was only 114 years ago. The cash under the table thing? I don’t know about sic(k) Willie, but while I agree some of these jerks do it for the under the table money – some just do it for the power fix. Toal. She’s got inherited money. Leatherman has made a ton of money. It’s the absolute power thing, dude. The being intoxicated with the feeling of absolute, unaccountable, royal power.
By Helvidius on January 31st, 2008 at 10:59 pm
He who lives by the sword dies by the pen?
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on January 31st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
sic(k) willie, did you know many digital phones have the ability to take pictures and videos? And, in high resolution. Smile, pervert! :)
By CL on February 1st, 2008 at 9:18 am
Take it from someone who has lived in a state that popularly elected judges (NC) – SC’s system is better. Any lawyer can run and win in NC. At least here you have to get thru the merit selection committee, which is made up of lawyers and is rather apolitical (although identity politics certainly play a role). In contrast, NC has had numerous scandals involving unqualified and dishonest candidates for judgeships.
By Harden Gervais on February 1st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Well, the judge selection system seemed to be working until a minority of people, with their agendas, started politicizing the issue. However, anything is better than putting judges up for election. Alabama elects its judges, like NC, and the situation isn’t good there, either.
By Tina Adams on February 1st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
public elections are the only way to go
By CL on February 1st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Public elections are the way to go if you want the worst possible judicial system. With public elections you get jokers like this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2454492
and this:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E3DC1130F931A1575AC0A96E958260
In SC we have the merit selection committee and a longstanding practice of having judges work their way up through the ranks (family court, then circuit court, then Ct. Appeals, then Supreme Ct.). This means that, while certainly not perfect, there are several checks in place that limit the odds of getting an incompetent judge. There is nothing like this in public elections. Plus, elected judges worry primarily about getting reelected, not applying the law.
By shaggy on February 1st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
not unlike the members of our general assembly who primarily who spend their time worrying about seeking out cash from special interest groups, going to 3 parties a night. Like one of which, works for a an attorney for example who spends his time buying off pols to buy his wife a seat on the supreme court. so that these legislators in the end can pass watered down laws with no teeth that have no reform for the system.
Yeah that’s right the present system works!
Keep the system on the inside…not in the peoples hands.
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