U. S. Judicial System

Genocide - The deliberate extermination of one class, race, or religious group by

another.

International Courts: Summary

• International Court of Justice (“World Court”)
• Permanent Court of Arbitration
• International Criminal Court (“War Crimes Tribunal”)
• All are based in The Hague
• The World Court is run under the auspices of the United Nations, but the other two are free-standing entities.

European Court of Human Rights (and a few others like it) are international in scope, but technically a supranational court

Selection of Judges – State Level

• Gubernatorial appointment
• Legislative election
• Partisan election
• Non-Partisan election
• Missouri Plan

* Bi-lateral commission identifies a small pool of candidates

* Gubernatorial appointment

* Periodic unilateral elections

Selection of Judges - Federal Level

• Serve for life
• President appoints, Senate confirms
• Senatorial Courtesy Rule
• Supreme Court justice selection criteria:

- Political reward

- Desire to maintain good relations with interest groups

- Ideology (not a big factor)

- Ability never really a factor (can hire top quality clerks)

Removing Federal Judges from Office

• Direct

- Die

- Retire

- Impeached

• Indirect

- Informal pressure to resign

- Prosecuted/convicted (serious misdemeanor or felony)

Removing State Judges from Office

• Direct

- Die

- Retire

- Impeached

- Judicial Misconduct Board

- Elect a new one at the next election/vote no if in a

Missouri Plan state

- Initiative/Recall/Referendum

• Indirect

- Informal pressure to resign

- Prosecuted/convicted (serious misdemeanor or felony)