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John Oliver exposes the classic American folly of electing judges

You’ll understand how dumb this is when you hear John Oliver explain it.

Eric Geller

Updated on May 29 2021 11:37 am CDT

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver/YouTube

Judges are supposed to be above the partisan fray, but how can they be when they depend on voters for reelection?

As John Oliver explained in the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, electing judges opens the door to all sorts of terrible and corrupt behavior.

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore may not understand the judicial system, but he’s one of Alabama’s favorite sons. Even worse, if a bill recently introduced in the Alabama State Senate passes the legislature, Moore could be the top judge on the state’s top court for almost another decade.

At least John Oliver will have a lot of material for his HBO comedy series.

Screengrab via Last Week Tonight with John Oliver/YouTube

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Eric Geller

Eric Geller is a politics reporter who focuses on cybersecurity, surveillance, encryption, and privacy. A former staff writer at the Daily Dot, Geller joined Politico in June 2016, where he’s focused on policymaking at the White House, the Justice Department, the State Department, and the Commerce Department.