J.A.I.L. News
Journal
______________________________________________________
Los Angeles,
California
December 5, 2005
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www.SouthDakotaJudicialAccountability.org
Chief
Justices Express Concern Over
J.A.I.L.
As many of you may
already know, the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court,
Ronald George, has voiced his concern about J.A.I.L. saying,
California has an "outstanding and impartial" judiciary and doesn't
need "extremists telling us how to change a system that has served us
so well and to substitute ... a highly politicized system for the
impartial process that we enjoy."
Corruption in our
California judiciary is definitely no secret. Near everyone in
California is familiar with it in one form or another. Even
numerous attorneys who practice daily in the courts are totally
discussed with the injustice they witness from our California
judges, and few are happy with the status quo. There is little
doubt that as this expression of Chief Justice Ronald George
spreads out to Californians, it is going to break out into a
Tsunami of negative reactions.
Is Chief Justice Ronald
George so blind so as not to realize that there are so many multiple
hundreds, if not thousands, of reform organizations in
California that are totally fed up with California's
corruption in the system that to tell them that we don't
need "extremists telling us how to
change a system that has served us so
well," is like sticking one's fingers
down their throat and gagging. We shall soon see the reaction to his
statement.
Besides Chief Justice
Ronald George, we now hear from Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Missouri, Michael Wolff, who is checking in on
J.A.I.L. He says;
"As I have traveled around the state, I am encouraged
that members of our profession are appropriately concerned about the
current threats. .... Let me give you an example to consider as
emblematic of threats that we may face. An initiative petition is
being circulated in South Dakota called JAIL, or Judicial
Accountability Initiative Law.
The proposal would amend the
state's Constitution to create Special Grand Juries for the purpose
of investigating complaints against judges, including complaints that
a judge ruled the wrong way in deciding a case, or even a particular
objection.
These Grand Juries would have
the power to sanction judges by levying fines and forfeitures against
them and, for third-time offenses, to remove judges from the bench.
These Special Grand Juries would have the power to indict judges,
subjecting them to criminal proceedings before special trial juries,
and to convict and sentence the offending judges.
When I first heard about this, I
thought it was something of a joke. But then I heard that some 10,000
persons - about a third of the number necessary to get this on the
ballot - have signed the initiative petition. So lest you think that
this is a phenomenon of the Wild West, there is an organization
contemplating a similar effort right here in Missouri."
....
Missouri Chief Justice Michael
Wolff
Sent to us
by
Jeff &
Mary,