Selections from inside:
The Rule of Law 

“I wish you success as you consider reforms to the judicial selection methods used in West Virginia that will safeguard judicial independence and the rule of law in the years to come…  An appointment process for judges followed by periodic retention elections offers clear advantages over partisan judicial elections…  If contested judicial elections are to continue, they should be made non-partisan.” (from Chapter 1)
—The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor
Supreme Court of the United States (Retired)

“I have run for election under the old partisan system which allowed private financing of judicial campaigns as well as the new public financing system.  I am very pleased to say that North Carolina's first-ever publicly funded appellate judicial elections were successful, just as subsequent ones have been. The nonpartisan aspect of campaign reform is also a welcome change.” (from Chapter 2)
—The Honorable Wanda G. Bryant
North Carolina Court of Appeals

 “Just like other politicians, elected judges have an incentive to serve their constituents… In particular, an elected judge has an incentive to transfer wealth from out-of-state corporations with deep pockets to in-state plaintiffs… Awards against businesses in general are larger in partisan states than in non-partisan states, but the majority of the partisan effect is due to a particular bias against out-of-state business defendants.” (from Chapter 3)
—Alexander Tabarrok, Ph.D.
George Mason University

  “We propose the creation of the Court of Appeals of West Virginia in conjunction with a right of first appeal in most cases…  It would ensure, first, greater opportunity for justice or sense of justice for litigants in specific cases and reduce uncorrected judicial error.  Second, it would enhance the consistent application of the law throughout the State and increase public confidence in the judicial branch…  An appeal of right will bring West Virginia in step with virtually every other one of her sister states…”  (from Chapter 10)
—Matthew R. Bowles and Mark A. Sadd
Lewis Glasser Casey & Rollins PLLC

“The question of what is considered a deliberate injury has been the subject of tremendous debate in both the civil court system and legislative arena for the past three decades.  Many believe that West Virginia’s current standard is too broadly interpreted, resulting in too many workers’ compensation lawsuits, and an unnecessarily high cost of doing business in the state.” (from Chapter 11)
—Ronda L. Harvey
Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love LLP

  “West Virginia’s health care delivery system … was pushed to the breaking point several years ago because physicians could not find or afford medical liability insurance coverage, lawmakers were able to take action, and the results thus far show success … but all of this progress could vanish if the Supreme Court strikes down major provisions of the Medical Professional Liability Act.” (from Chapter 12)
—Evan H. Jenkins
West Virginia State Medical Association

  “The most fundamental point of law and economics is that legal rules and regulations act like implicit prices on people’s behavior. We know from basic economics, as well as from our own experience, that consumer demand goes down when prices increase... Law and economics says that people follow similar thought processes when evaluating the legal implications of their decisions.” (from Chapter 7)
—Edward J. López, Ph.D.
San Jose State University

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