Look at this foolishness:
HARRISBURG — Superior Court Judge Joan Orie Melvin launched an attack today on her opponent in the state Supreme Court race, Jack Panella, saying it was unethical for him to take large campaign contributions from Philadelphia trial lawyers, whose cases he rules on regularly.
"It's pay to play and it's justice for sale," Judge Orie Melvin, a Republican from Marshall, told reporters after today's meeting of the Pennsylvania Press Club, where she was guest speaker.
She said Judge Panella accepted $1 million in contributions from the Committee for a Better Tomorrow, a political action committee funded by Philadelphia trial lawyers.
Judge Orie Melvin acknowledged that she accepted $100,000 herself from that group, although campaign finance records show she actually received $125,000.
Source: Pa. Supreme Court candidate hits rival over contributions
I won’t even bother to point out how hypocritical it is to take $125,000 from someone and then criticize your opponent for taking money from them too. OK, I guess I just did point that out.
But what I really wanted to point out is the whole “justice for sale” thing. Defense lawyers are present in every case in which trial lawyers are present. Is a judge selling justice if he or she takes money from defense lawyers?
What about insurance companies? Here’s a little secret: If a trial lawyer files a lawsuit, there’s an insurance company that covers the defendant. So insurance companies have just as much interest in “buying justice” as do trial lawyers. Does Judge Melvin think it’s wrong for a judge to take campaign contributions from insurance companies? I suspect not.
I’m very skeptical about judicial elections in general because so many people – plaintiff and defense lawyers, insurance companies, big companies – have the resources and motivation to try and “buy judges.” But you can’t just say it’s wrong for a judge to accept campaign contributions from one specific constituency. And it’s certainly wrong to say it’s wrong for your opponent to take money from the same constituency that you do.
