While campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich touted his role in helping to fund the campaign to defeat the three supreme court justices up for retention in 2010.
A campaign finance reform task force recommended public financing for judicial elections. The state first enacted limits on contributions to judicial and other candidates in 2009.
The supreme court requested that the legislature create 72 new judgeships, but budget shortfalls make such a step unlikely. The court has requested new judgeships in each of the past five budget years.
Under a new code of judicial conduct that goes into effect in January, the political activities of judicial candidates are strictly curtailed. The new rules were issued at the same time that a judge is awaiting trial on bribery charges.
The Senate confirmed supreme court justice Morgan Christen's appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Governor Palin appointed Christen to the state high court in 2009.
Questions were raised as to whether Justice Michael Gableman violated the state ethics code and the code of judicial conduct by accepting free legal services in defending himself against a judicial ethics violation charge arising from his 2008 campaign. In two cases, Gableman voted in favor of parties represented by the firm that provided free legal services to him.
Senate Republicans filibustered for the second time an Obama judicial nominee. Only one Republican senator joined Senate Democrats in voting to end the confirmation debate, but they fell six votes short of the required sixty votes.
