Re: “,” Nov. 17 Mario Nicolais column.
Mario Nicolais’ column on the process for nominating Colorado Supreme Court justices contains a serious error that undermines his criticism of the system. He writes that “All 15 members of the commission have been appointed by (Gov. John) Hickenlooper.” Not so. The governor appoints the non-lawyers on the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, but the lawyers are appointed jointly by the governor, chief justice and the attorney general. This arrangement substantially reduces the opportunity for “partisan politics to insert itself,” as Nicolais claims, especially when we have an attorney general and governor from different parties, as is the case today.
Our system is far less susceptible to the influence of politics than those that permit the direct gubernatorial appointment of judges. It is also far less susceptible to the influence of money that those that rely on the election of judges. I can’t understand why Nicolais sees the need to raise the specter of partisanship in a system designed to minimize it much better that the alternatives.
հDz,Denver
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