I know it can feel good to see a ruling you don’t like and want to reflexively make a decision like voting not to retain a judge regardless of his prior rulings, character, or his qualifications.
I watched liberals do the same thing two years ago with the very qualified Supreme Court Judge Kelly Broniec. She is very well qualified, and a very well respected. One decision on one case was not reasonable grounds to vote not to retain her. The vast majority of the people of the state agreed and she was retained by over a half million votes.
Judge Paul Wilson is in much the same mold of a moderate pragmatic judge. He is the son of Missouri judge born and raised in Jefferson City where he no doubt picked up his moderate pragmatic mindset. He still lives in Jefferson City and has two daughters who are themselves pretty solid proof of the quality of man he is.
Judge Wilson was first in his class from the University of Missouri Law School and very qualified by every academic barometer. Has no marks against his professional record or personal character.
As proof of his pragmatism as a judge he most often votes on cases alongside the conservative leader of the court Judge Zel Fischer from Atchison County. Now ask yourself, do you know any left wingers from Atchison County?
In an age where radicals seek to throw their fits and tear down the institutions that have made our state strong, reasonable folks from the Show-Me State need sound reasons to fire a man from his job.
Though it might feel good, like scratching a July chigger bite, to vote not to retain a judge because he voted alongside five other Republican appointed judges in one case, you know damn good and well scratching that chigger bite will only make things worse. The same would be true in voting not to retain Judge Wilson.
It would only result in turning every case into a referendum on Supreme Court Judges. Which would only serve to make our judiciary worse. We would be welcoming the same east coast billionaire interests who fund these endless ballot measures in to screw up our court rooms too.
Judge Paul Wilson is a man of integrity, intelligence, high character, and good ol’ Missourah pragmatism. You may not always agree with him, hell who in the world would you always agree with, but he has earned the right to keep his job.
Folks should vote to retain Judge Wilson tomorrow at the polls.
Tune into our election night coverage at https://youtube.com/live/-j0oCLDYjoE?feature=share and all of our social media channels starting at 7:00 with our first guest each election night Congresswoman Ann Wagner.
Scott Faughn is the Publisher of The Missouri Times, the Jefferson City News Tribune, the Fulton Sun, and the California Democrat as well as the host of This Week in Missouri Politics.
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