Politicizing the courts is inappropriate

There has been a recent effort to politicize the role of the Iowa Supreme Court. This is a grave mistake. The role of the judicial branch is to serve Iowans by making decisions based on applicable law, constitutional provisions and legal precedent. We should be grateful that judges do not, and should not, base decisions on public opinions or special interest pressure.

Voters bear the responsibility to vote whether or not to retain Iowa justices. This decision should not be based on a single court decision but on justices' skills in relevant areas such as case management as well as their ability to base decisions on facts and applicable law.

It would be a catastrophe if a special interest group was able to motivate Iowa voters to view their vote regarding judicial retentions, a vote that should be motivated by personal ideology. The vote to retain a judge is a vote that should be related to the justice's ability to make effective decisions based on the rule of law, not based upon the political ideology of a special interest lobby. The appropriate avenue for citizens who desire a change in the law is to lobby the legislature to change the law; it is not, however, appropriate for citizens to politicize the judicial branch.

Visit www.

iowacourts.gov to acquaint yourself with information relevant to judicial retention, free of political ideology.

Maggie Willems

Lisbon