8-14-14 former mississippi supreme court justice goes “between the lines”

Attorney Oliver Diaz, a former Mississippi Supreme Court justice is worried Wisconsin is going the way of other states that he says have surrendered an independent judiciary to the influence of largely out of state money on judicial elections.   Diaz went from being a Supreme Court Justice to being indicted but later acquitted, on federal mail fraud and bribery charges because of his long standing opposition to the influence of outside money on judicial elections.  His story was the inspiration for the primary character in John Grisham’s book  The Appeal.   Diaz spoke recently on AM 1170’s Between the Lines program.  Diaz says when too much outside money influences judicial elections  Wisconsin, just like other states lose the natural checks and balances of the legislative system.  Diaz says outside groups aren’t concerned about fairness in the court  system.  He says they want to guarantee laws they were influential in passing in the first place don’t get overturned by a higher court.

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