As lots of people know, oral argument is set before the US Supremes next week in
Caperton, et al. v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., et al. As the SCOTUS docket summary puts it:
The New York Times presents the long version of the case here.
California has contested judicial elections for trial court judges, who run for six year terms. Appellate and Supreme Court Justices stand for a yes or no vote every twelve years. As the San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate reported this morning, a quasi-official task force recently proposed a rule requiring judges to disqualify themselves from any case involving a party who has contributed $1,500 or more to their campaigns. That proposal now heads to the Judicial Commission. If CalBizLit's crystal ball is functioning properly, the proposal will thereafter never be heard from again. One of many members of the judiciary expressed opposition: