Watch the replay: Proposition 137 would end term limits for judges

A debate of Arizona’s Proposition 137 — a question about ending term limits for judges — was hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and the Arizona Media Association on Sept. 26.

Kory Langhofer, a managing partner at Statecraft Law, argued in favor of the measure and Andy Gordon, a retired lawyer and election-law expert, argued against.

What would Prop. 137 do?

Prop. 137 would:

• End the 6-year term limit for state supreme court justices and appeals court justices and the 4-year term limit for superior court judges in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties
• Allow judges to keep their jobs as long as they have “good behavior”
• End retention elections at the end of the judicial term, meaning voters will no longer decide whether to retain judges at the end of their judicial terms
• Judges would still come up for a retention election under certain circumstances, including a felony conviction or a conviction for a crime involving fraud or dishonesty; a bankruptcy or foreclosure, or failure to meet performance standards as determined by a majority of the Commission on Judicial Performance Review. Judges would be reviewed by the commission at least once every four years, and the commission would be required to review a judge on the request of a state legislator.
• Would not change the mandatory retirement age of 70

And, If approved, these changes would apply retroactively, so if voters choose to remove a judge on the ballot this November, that judge would keep their job.

What’s the background?

Prop. 137 was placed on the ballot by the state legislature.

Some have said the proposal is an effort to protect Arizona Supreme Court Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn H. King, who are up for retention or removal this year, following their controversial decision in April to uphold an 1864 near-total ban on abortion in Arizona.

In the existing system, judges are appointed by the governor after a nonpartisan merit selection process. They serve terms of four or six years, depending on the position, are reviewed by the commission, and must be retained or removed by voters at the end of their terms.

Who is for it?

Supporters say this proposal would result in shorter ballots without sacrificing accountability.

Supporters include the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a conservative advocacy group that focuses on promoting free-market policies and limited government in Arizona.

Who is against it?

Opponents say this proposal would give judges a lifetime appointment and bring politics into the Commission on Judicial Performance Review.

Judge John Hannah of the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County — to whom this change would apply — submitted an argument in opposition to Prop. 137 to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. “Proposition 137 would change the JPR Commission from a neutral information source to a political actor,” he wrote. He concluded, “judges would be made answerable to those who are loud and well-connected, instead of to the public.”

Opponents include the League of Women Voters of Arizona, former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, the ACLU of Arizona, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona.

Learn more about ballot propositions and register to vote

See the ballot language and arguments for and against in the pamphlet from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office .

The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office is hosting ballot measure town hall meetings . See details . They will be held:

• Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. at the Pima Community College downtown campus in Tucson
• Saturday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix

The Pima County Republican Party is hosting three meetups to learn about the propositions that will be on your ballot. See details . They will be held:

• Friday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m. at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene
• Wednesday, Oct. 9, 6 p.m. at The Bridge Christian Church in Tucson

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson is hosting a virtual meeting about the ballot propositions at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. Registration and details .

Register to vote by Oct. 7. You can register online . If you’ve moved recently, you’ll need to update your voter registration with your new address.

The post Watch the replay: Proposition 137 would end term limits for judges appeared first on AZ Luminaria .