Judicial Campaign Contributions: How Much is Too Much?

On June 8 the U.S. Supreme Court announced its groundbreaking decision in Caperton v. Massey Coal Co.  The Court ruled that judges should withdraw from considering cases before them when contributions to their election campaigns by parties to those cases influenced the outcome of the judge’s election, creating a “serious risk of actual bias.”

How are judges, lawyers and the public to move forward on recusal?   How are states reacting to the decision?  How much is “too much” to contribute to a judicial campaign?  The ABA Justice Center’s Presidential Showcase, “Justice for Sale? Contributions to Judicial Elections in the Wake of Caperton v. Massey,” will focus on these questions and more. The program will be held Thursday, July 30, from 10:30 a.m.-noon, in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom B.

A panel of experts that includes ABA past President Dennis Archer, former associate justice, Michigan Supreme Court, and former mayor of Detroit, will explore the effects of the Caperton decision.