Critics Charge Pennsylvania Courts Are Stuck in `Judicial Dark Ages' Elections of Justices Don't Result in the Best Getting Chosen, They Say

David Rohde,, The Christian Science Monitor

AS Pennsylvania voters prepare to elect one new state Supreme Court justice to a 10-year term and retain or reject another tomorrow, critics of the popularly elected and extremely powerful court are calling it "a national embarrassment" stuck in the "judicial dark ages."

Last week, Justice Rolf Larsen of the seven-member Supreme Court was indicted on felony charges of illegally using court employees to obtain prescription tranquilizers for his own use. Last November, Mr. Larsen accused court members of taking kickbacks, fixing court cases, taping telephone conversations, and claimed one of his fellow justices tried to run him down with a car.

Justice Nicholas …

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Publication information: Article title: Critics Charge Pennsylvania Courts Are Stuck in `Judicial Dark Ages' Elections of Justices Don't Result in the Best Getting Chosen, They Say. Contributors: David Rohde, - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: November 1, 1993. Page number: 7. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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