Suspicious of Endorsements for Judicial Candidate

I see this sort of thing every time there is someone running for a local judicial seat, and it bothers me enough to vote for the opponent in that race: inevitably ads will come out on TV or in the newspaper listing all of the different law enforcement organizations endorsing one of the candidates.

I don't have a problem with any organization choosing to endorse anyone for elective office. But when I visualize a judge at work, up there presiding over a criminal hearing or trial with the prosecution on one side and the defense on the other, my confidence in his or her impartiality is threatened by the knowledge that one side feels that it is going to get favored treatment. And let's face it: the police are the tool of the prosecution.

On this election day, we have a candidate for Alachua County Judge. In my Gainesville Sun this past Sunday was a full page ad listing all of the important people supporting the candidate in question. The first name on the list was that of Alachua County's current sheriff. At the top of the ad, in bold print, was listed the candidate's endorsement by both the Police Benevolent Association of North Central Florida and the Fraternal Order of Police Gator Lodge 67. Which was all well and fine for them; like I said, to each his own. But it created the impression, at least with me, that these organizations believe that the candidate, once seated, will bestow deferential treatment to cops over the accused against whom they testify.

This is why I am henceforth voting for the "other guy" in judicial races where one candidate receives the lion's share of law enforcement endorsements. Besides, think about this as well: the judge isn't supposed to give special deference to important community leaders over the average Jill or Joe. But that list of bigshots backing this one particular candidate also gives me the impression, however ultimately false it may turn out to be, that it will be the social elite who will benefit unduly from this man's jurisprudence, to the disadvantage of ordinary members of society whose names aren't expected to pull weight in a newspaper ad.

In spite of this, I think that voters in general gobble up these endorsements for judges and will most likely sweep this particular candidate into power by a landslide. Maybe he will be a good, fair judge. But these types of endorsements have had the reverse effect on me, turning me strongly away from the judicial candidates who receive and publicize them.