Jeffrey Stempel is the Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.On Oct. 7, Professor Stempel was interviewed by 8 News Now as part of an I-Team investigation into problems that judges and lawyers have with the current judicial election system. The investigation found, through public campaign finance reports, that lawyers and law firms contribute thousands of dollars to candidates, many of whom are deciding their cases.
In a segment titled "I-Team: Bulk of money in judge races from lawyers, law firms," Professor Stempel shared his views about the issue (1:18 mark).
"I think mostly, it's a perception problem. I don't think we have a significant problem with (outright) fraud, or conscious favoritism. What I think we have a problem with is clearly perception that justice could be for sale, for the people who contribute," he said.
Professor Stempel has numerous publications to his credit, including books, treatise chapters and supplements, and law review articles. He is a 1981 graduate of Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and co-founder of the Yale Law and Policy Review.
