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| | High Country News -- October 11, 2004: State judges get political |
 | | Some states select judges in popular elections; in others, they are appointed by governors or special commissions, but required to run for re-election if they seek subsequent terms. |
 | | Until recently, the chief influence in these elections has been the liberal trial lawyers who have applied campaign money, endorsements and legwork to elect judges who would be sympathetic to lawsuits against corporations. |
 | | In the 2002 elections, business interests spent more than $8 million on state supreme court races, lawyers spent more than $10 million, and the political parties spent nearly $3 million, according to the Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group Justice at Stake. |
| www.hcn.org /servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=15051 (919 words) |
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