Overhaul the Judiciary

Score (161)

Nnew York's courts are the most complex and backlogged in the country. There is no reason (other than to give political leaders as many ways as possible to hold judicial selection hostage) that we need 11 separate trial courts. We should heed Judge Kaye's urging to merge the trial courts, rationalize judicial selection (i.e. merit selection) to ensure that only qualified people take the bench, and create new judicial departments to erase appellate backlogs. We also should give the Judiciary more control over court procedure (just as the U.S. Judicial Conference judiciary and many state high courts have) to finally stop entangling our Judiciary so directly in the legislative politics of deciding those important issues. Without a court system that's fast and efficient, many of the other reforms to politics and business climate can't take root.
 - Submitted by Dan Miller on 11.11.06