Seven of the 15 members of a commission that will recommend finalists to replace three Iowa Supreme Court justices ousted after legalizing gay marriage should be disqualified from participating, a conservative lawyer argued Thursday.
Indiana lawyer James Bopp Jr. filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday saying that since only lawyers can vote in those elections, average citizens are shut out and do not have equal participation in the process.
Bopp filed the lawsuit on behalf of four Iowans. The suit asks a judge to issue a restraining order to stop the seven commission members --- all elected through the Iowa State Bar Association --- from recommending finalists to the governor to replace Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices David Baker and Michael Streit.
In a statement on Thursday, Bopp said the lawsuit aims to change a system that "gives attorneys a stranglehold on the judiciary." He said the process should continue without their participation.
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Complete article at WCF Courier : http://bit.ly/iaOmw7
