There are two issues with Louisiana’s justice system that deserve discussion. At a minor level we will all soon vote to extend mandatory retirement for judges from 70 to 75. In our world there is no reason not to do this.

A much more important, though little discussed issue, is the influence of money in the courtroom. Many years ago we adopted very restrictive laws that limit who can contribute to legislators and many other elected officials, and limit relationships with their families and their businesses. These laws limited contracts and other financial relationships. This worked, the changes dramatically cut down on the scourge of corruption that marked Louisiana in the eyes of the world.

Excluded from much of these laws were attorneys, and most poignantly, all of our judges. My proposal is that no attorney should be allowed to practice in any court for whom they had contributed to the judge, for whom their families or employees had done so, for whom they had bundled contributions, and for whom their client, family, employees, and business had contributed.

I know the lawyers will, as they always have, defend the current practice with First Amendment arguments. But such pale in the face of the belief by people and businesses that our long held reputation as a Judicial Hellhole is a directly linked to free money flowing into courtrooms.

I know many judges, and I strongly doubt that most allow money to buy their influence. So why do we take the chance that it might? Independence of our justice system, not only political but also from any other outside influence, is the basis of trust that underpins our society. Justice is supposed to be blind, not almost blind.

If money, contracts, and other influences are sharply limited to some elected and appointed officials, why not all?