[Draft] March 2020 Judicial Election

Haven

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March 2020 Judicial Election
by Haven

With four months since November now behind us, it's time for another judicial election. March's vote comes as the Court in recent months has faced criticisms over a series of seemingly over-punitive decisions, including in cases featuring guilty pleas and requests for commutation. It also follows the abolition of the office of the Attorney General with the passing of the AGORA Act, leading to questions of the Court's standing to decide on legal ambiguities in a trial format, among other issues. The field was exceptionally large this month, with six candidates eventually making it to the final ballot. This including respected veterans and a few fresh faces looking to make a name for themselves on the bench.

The Candidates:

Vivanco
Zyvetskistaahn
Wonderess
Lady Raven Wing
Eluvatar
Alamei
MintChocoIC13 (Disqualified)

Vivanco

Vivanco's campaign emphasized his experience as Attorney General, and his record of upholding the independence of the judiciary. Vivanco responded to the issue of harsh sentencing by implying punishments may seem "more harsh [sic]" due to their final nature. Though they seemed to support the idea that the Court should always be open to rehabilitation, they indicated that past good deeds should not negate a bad act in the eyes of the law.

Notably, they supported establishing a civil procedure for the Court, as a forum outside of moderation for the resolution of conflicts among individuals. They stated that the administration would assume the duty of enforcing these decisions, though they did not indicate what penal actions may be incurred upon violation.

Vivanco received 18.31% of the vote and was not elected.

Zyvetskistaahn

Having served as the previous Chief Justice, Zyvetskistaahn's reelection campaign had an air of inevitability surrounding it, heightened by a highly thorough, issue-based campaign. On procedures, Zyvetskistaahn laid out a plan for much-needed reforms following the AGORA Act, including alteration of the requests for review form, the introduction of a form for indictments, and rule amendments to reflect the inevitable delay that will come from appointing a prosecutor after charges are accepted. Other amendments he indorsed included clarifying of indictments and requests for approval for bans, the introduction of requirements that changes to indictments be approved by the Court, and changes to the guilty plea process.

Zyvetskistaahn received 49.30% of the vote and was elected.

Lady Raven Wing

Lady Raven Wing, running a concise but thoughtful campaign, was a clear favorite for reelection as Justice, having received several high-profile endorsements early on. Her time as Justice launched them from a relative unknown in TNP politics to a highly respected and experienced member of the bench.

In the wake of the AGORA Act, she indicated that the Court should, going forward, not be resolving ambiguities of law in the criminal trial process, if at all. She qualified that this pertains only to ambiguities that do not result in "Constitutional conflict". Speaking on penal restrain, she stated that she did not feel any particular cases in recent years were decided improperly or that the Court handed down any unreasonable punishments.

Lady Raven Wing received 50.70% of the vote and was elected.

Wonderess

This was Wonderess' second campaign for Justice, having run unsuccessfully last July in a comparatively bare-bones effort. This time around, he emphasized his conservative approach to interpreting and applying the statute, declaring that it was not the Court's role to innovate on the law but instead to act as a "respectful referee" of the trial process.

On the issue of retribution, Wonderess pointed to The North Pacific v Bobberino as a case in which the Court could have pursued more leniency. He made it clear, however, that he did not see it as his place to criticize the Court for its previous decisions, especially considering we the public may not have all the "pieces of the puzzle". He offered a reasonable position on heavy-handed rulings, emphasizing that punishment should be, first and foremost, about the rehabilitation of the defendant and that the Court should use only such legal force as necessary to affect this outcome. He indicated that, especially with as sparse a body of case law as the North Pacific has, precedent should not be the final word, and that each case encompasses unique circumstances that require a unique approach to resolution, even if the charges are the same.

Wonderess received 50.70% of the vote and was elected.

Eluvatar

Eluvatar, the renowned former Delegate and elder statesman who has previously served in the now-defunct position of Attorney General, only tentatively accepted his nomination for Justice. He failed to post a campaign thread, and seemed to have relied on name recognition and a robust record.

Eluvatar received 32.39% of the vote and was not elected.

Alamei

Though a TNP native for some time, Alamei has only recently begun to actively engage in regional government. An experienced legal official for the Versutian Federation, Alamei hopes to bring their philosophy of transparency and impartiality to the North Pacific. They supported the recent reforms under the AGORA Act, stating that it made the Court more accessible to the "common citizen". They also proposed a rule change that would allow Justices other than the Moderating Justice to ask questions of trial participants, suggesting this would allow Justices an opportunity to make a more 'fully informed' decision.

Alamei received 35.21% of the vote and was not elected.

MintChocoIC13

MintChocoIC13 did not post a campaign, and they lost their citizenship during the initial vote. They were struck from the ballot, and a new vote was triggered automatically.

 
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