Merit selection, not elections, must be how we choose justices

• Published in: The Charleston gazette (Charleston, W. Va. : 1907)
• Main Author: Hicks, Elliot G
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Charleston, W.V Charleston Newspapers 14.12.2004
• Subjects: McGraw, Warren

This was a switch from the issue raised by the Chamber of Commerce and others who criticized [Warren McGraw] for his striking consistency in finding for the plaintiff, against any corporate interest. McGraw's very worthy contender in the primary election, Greenbrier County Circuit Judge James Rowe, campaigned on his own honorable record as a judge. The problem is that the public simply did not know enough about McGraw to know that alleged failure to protect children was not a legitimate issue. That's just what stuck, because it caught the public's interest. It was almost comical to see McGraw derided for failing to protect children. It was shocking that the charge stuck, and ultimately contributed to his defeat. Research universally shows that the things determining judicial elections are name-recognition and incumbency. Name-recognition usually must be purchased in judicial elections because the news media largely ignores local judicial elections, resulting in a lack of the free publicity that comes from media interest in other races.