PATH TO JUDGESHIPS RUNS THROUGH LIBERAL TRADE ASSOCIATION
The Alaska Family Council has released a study that reveals the political leanings of members of the Alaska Bar Association, which is the professional organization that has an oversized role in the choosing of Alaska’s judges.
According to the report just released by the organization, of all ABA members, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin – 27.48% to 15.85%.
“That’s polar opposite of voters in Alaska, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by nearly 2-to-1 (24.25% to 12.83%),” said Jim Minnery, president of the conservative values-oriented organization.
“When liberals have the power to select our judges, the public is stuck with the decisions of liberal judges,” he said.
The report comes two days before Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger delivers his annual “State of the Judiciary” address to a joint session of the Legislature.
Minnery wrote that Justice Bolger may brush off his talking points from remarks he gave to October’s Alaska Federation of Natives convention, where he warned about “attacks on judicial independence.”
“That would be ironic, because for decades, activist judges in Alaska have waged a war against the legislative and executive branches of government. In case after case, these lawyers in black robes have trampled on the constitutional authority of lawmakers who obtain consent to govern us by winning an election,” Minnery said.
Alaska lawyers rise to the bench after being nominated by the Alaska Judicial Council, whose membership is made up of a majority of bar association members. As a part of the Judicial Council’s vetting process, members of the bar are asked to offer their opinion of the applicants.
“Not surprisingly, there’s a long track record of conservative lawyers receiving lousy scores on the Bar survey,” Minnery noted.
Not all lawyers are associated with a party, but for typically Undeclareds vote more conservatively and nonpartisans vote for more liberal candidates.
Nonpartisan voters make up 14.45 percent of the electorate in Alaska, but make up over 24 percent of attorneys.
