From WLOS: Silent Voices, Silent Justice protest held in Asheville
It was a cold morning in Asheville but that didn’t stop residents, activists, and lawmakers from standing in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse and speaking out for fair courts in North Carolina. Top legislators in Raleigh want to rig the court system so they can pass unconstitutional voter suppression laws unchallenged. They would like to silence the voices of the voters. The people of North Carolina know that we must have a fair and impartial court system in order to maintain our democracy. The people of North Carolina are going to make sure lawmakers hear their voices loud and clear.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Members of NC Voters for Clean Elections, Democracy NC, Progress NC, the NC NAACP and concerned Asheville residents filled Pack Square Park on Thursday afternoon to protest proposed changes on how judges are elected in the state.
About 40 people turned out with their mouths taped shut. On the tape was written “Silent Voices, Silent Justice.”Organizers said Republicans in Raleigh are trying to silence voters’ say in judicial elections. There are several bills being considered right now. One would eliminate judicial elections all together and have judges appointed by lawmakers or the governor or both. Another topic, SB698 would have judges up for election every two years instead of four or eight.
“I think that it devalues the constitution in North Carolina, and you will more likely see unfair decisions made by the courts,” said Rep. Susan C. Fisher, a Democrat..
The protest group is also worried about a bill already passed by the House that changes judicial district lines. Democrats claim Republicans are trying to gerrymander districts to get rid of some long standing incumbents.
