Former longtime 4th Judicial District Attorney Bob Russel is the latest to express grave concerns over Amendment 40, the Judicial term limit proposal that has been dubbed the John-Andrews-seeks-revenge-on-the-Supremes-act-of-2006.
On Monday, Russel, who was DA in El Paso and Teller counties from 1965 to 1985, joined his successor and now-Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and former U.S. Attorney Bob Miller to denounce term-limiting Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges.
“I don’t know any attorney in their mid-40s or 50s who would want to apply to be a judge” if Amendment 40 passes, Russel was quoted saying in the Colorado Springs Gazette. “They’d be away for 10 years, then have to restart their practices. That’s outrageous and would lead to a lot of greenhorn judges being appointed.”
In 2003 Andrews, the former Colorado Senate President orchestrated what has become known as the “midnight gerrymander” a late-night congressional redistricting effort that would have all but secured five of the state’s seven congressional seats for Republicans. But the Supreme Court subsequently struck the redistricting down.
On Sept. 18, Colorado Confidential reported a parade of bipartisan opposition to the amendment, including Suthers, Republican Governor Bill Owens, former governors Roy Romer and Dick Lamm, who are Democratics, and former Republican Governor John Vanderhoof. Many business and civic groups also have come out in strong opposition, including the Colorado Judicial Institute, the League of Women Voters and Common Cause.
