After reading this article and the roll out of a new public relations campaign defending the merit retention process for the judiciary, it is clear that The Florida Bar feels more than a bit threatened that a growing group of Tea Party and conservative activists created a movement called “Restore Justice 2012.”  Restore Justice was created in reaction to the judicial activism of the Florida Supreme Court, including their refusal to allow Florida voters the opportunity to vote on the health care amendment to the Florida Constitution. 

The diminishing elite of the Democrat Establishment and liberal groups like the League of Women Voters recently voiced their concern that the most liberal, activist Judges on the Florida Supreme Court (who protect their liberal interests) will be defeated in a merit retention election.  The Justices include Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince, and R. Fred Lewis and Restore Justice want voters not to retain the Justices.  

While it is difficult for these type of elections to get on the media radar and for citizens to make informed decisions, there must be some real fear brewing on behalf of the liberal legal establishment toward the Florida Tea Party.  How else to explain the Florida Bar throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a campaign to protect a slew of liberal Justices.  And Florida Republicans now have every right to campaign against these activist Justices because of the Florida Supreme Court’s partisan handling of a number of different controversies.

By raising the stakes from the narrow review of individual judges to the merit retention process itself, the Florida Bar actually allows Republicans to now join the Tea Party in throwing out the  activist Justices.  Why? Because the merit retention system in Florida is a non-democratic process that does not work any better than the partisan Florida Supreme Court.  The Florida Bar’s reactive attempt to help the activist Justices actually risks their current incumbency more than they realize.

After reading this article and the roll out of a new public relations campaign defending the merit retention process for the judiciary, it is clear that The Florida Bar feels more than a bit threatened that a growing group of Tea Party and conservative activists created a movement called “Restore Justice 2012.”  Restore Justice was created in reaction to the judicial activism of the Florida Supreme Court, including their refusal to allow Florida voters the opportunity to vote on the health care amendment to the Florida Constitution. 

The diminishing elite of the Democrat Establishment and liberal groups like the League of Women Voters recently voiced their concern that the most liberal, activist Judges on the Florida Supreme Court (who protect their liberal interests) will be defeated in a merit retention election.  The Justices include Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince, and R. Fred Lewis and Restore Justice want voters not to retain the Justices.  

While it is difficult for these type of elections to get on the media radar and for citizens to make informed decisions, there must be some real fear brewing on behalf of the liberal legal establishment toward the Florida Tea Party.  How else to explain the Florida Bar throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a campaign to protect a slew of liberal Justices.  And Florida Republicans now have every right to campaign against these activist Justices because of the Florida Supreme Court’s partisan handling of a number of different controversies.

By raising the stakes from the narrow review of individual judges to the merit retention process itself, the Florida Bar actually allows Republicans to now join the Tea Party in throwing out the  activist Justices.  Why? Because the merit retention system in Florida is a non-democratic process that does not work any better than the partisan Florida Supreme Court.  The Florida Bar’s reactive attempt to help the activist Justices actually risks their current incumbency more than they realize.