There are jurisdictions in the US that elect local judges and justices of the court that have zero votes at election-time[1]. You could always just move to the middle of nowhere and write yourself in and hope for the best. And in some places like New York, you need no experience to become one.[2]
Learning the fact that you need no credentials to be a family judge, for instance, permanently damaged my trust and respect in the system. If Joe Bumpkin down the street with no education can decide the fate of others' lives, does our society truly understand and practice justice?
Personally I'm using it as an opportunity to tell my story and call out authorities by name, when my case is over.
I would like to see a country where judges don't play God or choose which families win and lose in this country. They owe every citizen respect, not just the ones with uteruses.
I'm guessing that Joe Bumpkin's blatantly legally wrong decisions would be overturned on appeal by a higher order court. But I live in a country with a non-stupid way to select judges, so I don't know for sure.
I find it naive for someone to trust a process that, at just about any junction, can be corrupted and force you to lose resources.
Our rights are but toys to them. This will not change until we start dismantling the structures of power that allow them to steal autonomy from others.
I didn't say non-stupid judge selection is perfect, just that it's strictly better than electing them with no required qualifications.
Also, a firm no thanks from me on dismantling the structures of power until we settle unambiguously on what replaces them. Again, maybe my Canadian bias, our "structures of power" are not great but typically those who want to dismantle them are advocating sheer wingnut lunacy in their stead.
Yeah, government's never get it wrong or anything...
There are some things, like families, that governments are simply not equipped or qualified to rule on. It doesn't concern them, they have no standing and no stake in the outcome. They are reticent to take real action and instead want people to bend to their will without having proven superiority of character, word, or deed.
I'll give you that it is indeed one judge actually being held accountable, to some mild degree.
Still not enough to convince me that this country is good or is capable of respecting its own documents and laws. It does what is convenient to it, no more, no less.
I will return the favor when the US inevitably pisses off another country and they invade.
My aim in sharing that article was "how we get to a point where judges even think this is acceptable behavior/know they can usually do this kind of thing with impunity".
[1] https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/11/15/st-lawrence-county-struggl...
[2] https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/35988/201...