RIGHT-WING GROUP ASKING JUDICIAL CANDIDATES TO POSSIBLY VIOLATE CANONS

Yes, friends, here comes another voter guide to be distributed in churches across the state and online, this time by the Florida Policy Council. It is the group which is leading the petition drive to put before the voters in 2008 a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage...which is already prohibited by statute.

The group's first Florida Judicial Accountibility Project has gotten underway, with questionaires having been sent to over 350 judicial candidates for county, circuit, appeallate, and Supreme Court seats. The questionaire asks candidates about their views on several hot-button topics, including abortion, gay marriage, and school vouchers.

The problem inherent in responding to these surveys is that state judicial canons prohibit candidates from discussing cases, controversies, or issues likely to come before the court. While they can comment on political issues, it advises that judicial candidates not do so. If elected, they can be disqualified from hearing cases related to any issue they had publicly commented on.

This will be a campaign that progressives will need to watch closely.