Photo by Stephen KorandaRepublican Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and his Democratic challenger, Paul Davis, tangled over judicial selection in their final scheduled debate yesterday (TUE). Brownback criticized the current makeup of the state Supreme Court and referenced the recent overturning of death sentences for the Carr brothers, two convicted murderers.
“We’re seeing now a case, the Carr brothers here in Wichita, going to the Kansas Supreme Court and was overturned by the Kansas Supreme Court. The Kansas Supreme Court, a very liberal court. Paul Davis wants to continue to appoint liberal judges to that court,” says Brownback.
Davis criticized Brownback for a recent ad aimed at connecting Davis to the Supreme Court and the overturning of the Carr brothers' sentences. The Carr brothers were convicted of killing five people.
“I knew one of the victims of the Carr brothers murder, and governor, you trying to exploit that terrible tragedy to help get elected is disgraceful,” says Davis.
Brownback has proposed changing the judicial selection system for the Supreme Court to give the governor more power in the process. Davis says that would give the governor too much power over the judicial branch.