Here Comes the Judge

Good morning, Columbia/HoCo! I slept in this morning on account of the rainy weather. Perhaps I need to start setting my alarm again.

I’ll make this brief. I have a question today: why do we elect judges? I find it odd. Then again, I still don’t really comprehend why we elect the Howard County Sheriff, either.

I’m not looking for testimonials from candidates here. I’m hoping that some of my politically savvy readers will come out of the woodwork and explain this. Perhaps you are a student of judicial history. Fill me in.

Is electing judges, rather than appointing them, the best way to go? What should citizens look for in a judicial candidate? What makes for an informed voter?

Since I have all this extra time on my hands, I might as well use it to educate myself.