With the addition of Sally Pokorny to the Douglas County District Court bench on Thursday, the 7th Judicial District’s judges became majority female – four women and two men. The 17th Judicial District, made up of six northwestern counties, is the only other Kansas court with a female majority. Then there is the state’s largest bench, Sedgwick County’s 18th Judicial District, which just gained two judgeships but lost its lone female judge in the November election.
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12 Comments
So the point of this thread is to proclaim that we should have more women on the bench just because they are female?
What a sexist, bigoted statement.
PM,
Wasn’t it you just a few months back who ranted here at length, calling one woman judge every sexist bigoted name in the book (and a few you invented on the spot) because she ruled against you? Hey, all judges, male and female, have to rule against somebody! Suck it up.
The point is that we should have a more even distribution of male/female judges. Not because they are female, but like the rest of Kansas, the sexism in those male dominated counties just can’t believe women belong on the bench.
it also shows on domestic abuse rulings. Across the state, domestic violence is just shrugged off.
The concept about equal opportunity is that, to a casual viewer a truly non-racist, non-sexist society will have people in institutions who are representative of the general population.
If there is a profound difference between the population and the representative institutions — from college students to judges — there’s something to look into.
Perhaps Wichita has a profound shortage of femal attorneys from which to pick judges. Why is that? Do the firms not hire or promote women? Do a high percentage of female attorneys turn down opportunities to advance (in favor, say, of “spending more time with the family)? Perhaps they’re making far more money chasing ambulances than they would on the bench. I dunno.
But this thread’s issue is worth looking into.
It might mean something. It might mean nothing at all.
Show me any difference in the quality of justice (whatever that is) between the two. What does it mean in terms of rulings, etc.?
I strongly suspect it means, despite p-mom’s hysteria, nearly nothing. As MH says (gasp -we agree on something!) it’s worth looking into, but hardly reason to panic.
Given that SG Co elects its judges, however, I see no way to require any sort of sexual balance. Moreover, I see no push to change how judges are chosen in SG Co. Net result – nothing.
Some here don’t know the difference between a mountain and a molehill.
Jed,
You have me confused with someone else. Feel free to investigate.
Back on topic, if you truly pick people based on their experience, education, and qualifications you do not end up with some predetermined group that is x% female or x% male. To advocate otherwise is to say we need to overlook qualifications. That is a recipe for disaster.
It has been a decade long goal by some to make the 18th Judicial District an all white male bench. They have almost achieved that.
PM,
Sorry, I had you confused with someone bearing a different nic and similar style.
“Across the state, domestic violence is just shrugged off.”
And with our former female judge domestic violence from wife against husband was considered impossible. If a wife punched a man in the face she would jail the male for battering her fist with his face.
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bth
Posted January 19, 2009 at 7:05 pm | Permalink
“Across the state, domestic violence is just shrugged off.”
And with our former female judge domestic violence from wife against husband was considered impossible. If a wife punched a man in the face she would jail the male for battering her fist with his face.
——————–
heh, I knew a guy in the Air Force who married a woman that was six feet tall, farm girl husky build and quite strong.
He was about 5 foot six, 130 pounds dripping wet.
Evidently, the only way ‘Bill’s’ wife could express her displeasure about something was to beat the crap out of him.
He came in several times to the office with black eyes, swollen nose and sore ribs.
Not sure whatever became of the couple. Everyone that knew him just shook their heads and wondered why he never reported the abuse.
“Across the state, domestic violence is just shrugged off.”
Once again, ignorance raises its head. Check the law, P-mom. You’ll find that domestic violence is one of only two offenses where, if PC exists, an officer MUST make an arrest (the other is DUI). You’ll find that each prosecutor’s office, by statute, MUST have a written DV policy, and most are forced prosecution, where the evidence makes it possible, even over the inevitable objections of the victim (”he’s never done anything like that befor . . .” “he’s said he’s sorry, and we’re in love . . .”.
Or my personal favorite (yes, this was an actual case) after he had clubbed her in the head with a shovel: “It was just foreplay.”
Right.
Try to get the facts, P-mom. I know that if they don’t fit your preconceptions, you’ll ignore them anyway, but try.
There should be more women on the judicial bench. I am sure there are honest,decent,women who are aptly qualified to be judges,with that said there names are NOT Pilshaw,Ware,Foulston, or any other wrongful actors who corrupt justice.