O’Connor to Address Judicial Elections Controversy

Former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor is expected to address the controversial matter of judicial elections when she speaks next month in Iowa. Antigay advocates in the state are attempting to vote out three justices who voted for the state supreme court’s marriage equality ruling last year.

The Washington Post reports on the campaign to oust the justices, which represents a new front that concerns legal experts nationwide.

“The controversy has drawn the attention of the Iowa Bar Association and legal experts around the country, including former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is slated to address the matter at an event here next month,” reports the Post. “O'Connor for years has spoken out against the judicial elections, arguing that they create ‘politicians in robes.’”

According to The Des Moines Register, O'Connor will take part in an Iowa State Bar Association panel scheduled for September 8 at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The event will support judicial retention based on merits rather than politics.

The first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor served from 1981 until her retirement in 2006.