Hartmann: It's time to Occupy the Courts

With Occupy Wall Street in full swing - it's time to begin a new occupation...of our nation's court system. Today we learned that corporations are spending millions and millions of dollars meddling in judicial elections around the nation. In fact - a new report by the Brennan Center for Justice, the NYU School of Law, and other independent judicial watchdogs - finds that just three corporate lobbyist groups - the Ohio Chamber of Commerce - the Business Council of Alabama - and the Illinois Civil Justice League - have outspent the ENTIRE labor movement in judicial elections around the nation. Those groups alone spent over $3 million last year making sure that corporate-friendly justices find their way onto benches everywhere. There's long been a debate over what kind of judge is best - one elected by the people as most state judges are - or one appointed by the President as most federal judges are. But the truth is - now that corporations are allowed to spend unlimited amounts in our elections - both types of judges have been corrupted - transformed from professional jurists into corporate shills.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Thom Hartmann
• Big Picture
• theBigPictureRT
• RTAmerica
• RT America
• Occupy Wall Street
• NYU
• NYU School of Law
• Brennan Center for Justice
• Illinois Civil Justice League
• federal judge
• President

[detersbb]

A politicized judiciary?

Everything I learned about the law told me that it must be objective, blind, empirical.

The moment that the judgment is made from a political leaning is the moment that office is being abused for political ideology & SERIOUS punishment is necessary immediately-terrorism comes to mind-the use or threatened use of force to to coerce, intimidate, or extort action in order to achieve a religious, political, ideological, or economic goal

Political decisions=terrorism

[shadowmagix]

Thanks for the eye opener Thom!

[weedot0129]

Exciting news. Dr. Cornel West will be with Occupy Gainesville and Move to Amend "Occupy the Courts" day of action HERE IN GAINESVILLE, FL, Jan. 20th, 2012. Mark your calendars. Time is TBA, Location: Federal Building, 401 Southeast First Ave., Gainesville, FL. We will post more info after a meeting on Dec. 30th, 2011. Please share with all you know . We are inviting all other Occupies in Florida to come share this wonderful opportunity with Occupy Gainesville.

[tlsmith1138]

Got a flash for ya. The right is composed of a lot more than the lousy one percent who want to turn us all back into peasants and serfs. Stick with accusing the one percent. The right, itself, has no desire to live on the few moldy crumbs the one percent allows them.

[DavidmCarlin]

(( Research )) The American Bar Association (ABA) and how they direct legislation from the bench to exploit the public interest. Expose how the ABA is actively changing rules to conceal financial activities of lawyers. Expose How the ABA is active in blocking government investigations and the Audit process of corp. clients. THE ABA IS THE LARGEST PROFESSION SPECIAL INTEREST TO EXPOSE. The ABA is protecting Judicial Independence at the public's expense. Expose the systemic abuse of the public.

[DavidmCarlin]

EXPOSE HOW MANY JUDICIAL MEMBERS ARE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE BODIES...

[k98killer]

I don't really mind libertarian ideology, but far-right means corporate fascism, which is what this country is moving toward. The sad thing is that so few people know, and even fewer care enough to do anything.

[polabear001]

There is little to no Free Press in Russia, it is almost entirely controlled by the Putin dictatorship, and independent journalist are harassed, beaten, jailed and even murdered. Don't be duped by this propaganda and its hatred of America and Democracy, and Freedom of the Press.

[Druydess]

Very Informative!!