7.4: Judges
- Page ID
- 48367
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Judges
Image 7.5
Duties
Regardless of their age, the judge is always the senior officer within the court room. It is the judge’s obligation to oversee the conduct in the courtroom so as to maintain an orderly courtroom environment. It is the judge that settled questions of evidence and procedure, as well as guides the questioning of witnesses, and instructs the jury about long before they reach their decision. When a jury is not used then the judge needs to ultimately decide on guilt in what is known as a bench trial. It is typically also the judge that the sides on the sentence which includes decisions about the type of sentence, the length of the sentence, and any special conditions such as to stay away from drugs or alcohol, that are part of the sentence.
Judicial Qualifications
The qualifications to be a judge, other than a Supreme Court justice, vary from state to state. The qualifications also vary depending on if you are a municipal court judge compared to a federal appellate judge for instance. Typical qualifications include: being a resident of the state or jurisdiction that you are serving, being licensed to practice law, being a member of the appropriate state bar association, and being at least 25 years old but less than 70 years old.
Judicial Selection Systems
The methods of selecting a judge also vary from area to area. Some areas select their judges through elections. Some jurisdictions choose to have partisan elections where the judge must be a member of a dominant political party while some jurisdictions allow judges to be elected while not being a member of a particular political party, which is known as non-partisan elections.
In some jurisdictions, they do not want to rely on the election process and instead their judges are appointed. Other jurisdictions feel that the appointment of a powerful judge by people in power does not seem fair and so their judges are chosen by a panel. Many states have moved to using the Merit Plan which was a method first derived in Missouri which uses a combination of appointment to the ballot and then election by the people of the screened judges who made it onto the ballot. At the present time, the merit selection method is the predominant method used followed by non-partisan elections.
Image 7.6
Court Administrator
In larger jurisdictions another key member of the court is the court administrator. A court administrator typically has more authority and obligation than the usual “clerk of court” found in many jurisdictions. A court administrator not only handles the administration and docketing of cases, but they are also responsible for the hiring, retention, and promotion of all courtroom personnel from the janitorial staff to the secretaries, they are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the facilities, for all purchasing, for all financial records, and they serve as an important liaison between the courts and the general public. A person in this position does not need to have a law degree but they do need strong public administration and management skills.