Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–October 28, 2013. The recent explosion in judicial campaign cash and the growing use of “soft-on-crime” attack ads in state supreme court elections is impacting states’ criminal justice systems, according to a new report out today from the Center for American Progress. “Criminals and Campaign Cash” explores how, as state supreme court campaigns become more expensive, the growing number of political ads that distort facts about judges’ criminal rulings create political pressure for judges to rule in favor of the state and against criminal defendants. The findings of the report reveal a clear trend: As campaign cash increased, the courts studied began to rule more often in favor of prosecutors and against criminal defendants.
