Outside Groups Pour Millions Into Judicial Races

Special interest organizations poured more than $19 million into campaigns for seats on top state courts, more than ever before according to an analysis by The Brennan Center for Justice. The Republican State Leadership Committee spent the most of any group, putting $4 million toward eight different races. The spending appears not to have had the desired effect: in Kansas, Washington, and Mississippi, justices held onto their jobs despite costly efforts to remove them. However, despite maintaining their jobs, research shows those judges may be less likely to rule in favor of criminal defendants in the future. Under campaign finance laws, special interest organizations do not have to disclose their donors.