# Is South Dakota's Amendment E, Jail-Four-Judges good or bad for the country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 18, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934 "2006-10-18T14:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/41 "2006-10-19T13:48:52Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I believe the story says explicitly that unions are afraid of not being able to enforce or obtain workers compensation awards. [/QUOTE] It did, personally I just don’t quite grasp the reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/42 "2006-10-19T13:52:07Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] It did, personally I just don’t quite grasp the reasoning. [/QUOTE] I think **Voyager** answered it, in general terms: > [@Voyager](#): > > This law would tend to work against anyone expecting to win court disputes, since they might fear a judgement for them would be reduced in order to reduce the chance of the loser suing. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/43 "2006-10-19T14:25:45Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I think **Voyager** answered it, in general terms: [QUOTE=Voyager] This law would tend to work against anyone expecting to win court disputes, since they might fear a judgement for them would be reduced in order to reduce the chance of the loser suing. [/QUOTE] [/QUOTE] I guess this part seems like a stretch to me. But, I will accept it as they seem to have. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/44 "2006-10-19T14:56:05Z")
The South Dakota proposed amendment is a profoundly bad idea. There are already several means of reining in errant judges and other public officials, as noted upthread. I was not aware of an epidemic of jack-booted state government thugs trampling on the rights of South Dakotans; this amendment has a distinct aroma of the Freemen/survivalist/common-law-courts brand of idiocy. If adopted, the amendment would strongly discourage citizens from public service and seriously erode the independence of South Dakota courts. I hope it loses, and loses big, so no one tries it elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/45 "2006-10-19T18:18:30Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] It did, personally I just don’t quite grasp the reasoning. [/QUOTE] I didn’t get it exactly, but say a judge has to set a payment in a lawsuit. I’d think it is at least possible that he or she would feel that the chance of being sued under this law (and it isn’t quite being sued, I understand) is proportional to the size of the judgement. This is totally new territory, and who knows what would happen? **Random** , do jurors have judicial immunity? Would it be possible to sue a jury that rules against you? Since the law directs the grand jury to believe the plaintiff, this would be very hard to defend against. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to serve on a jury if there was a chance of being sued because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/46 "2006-10-19T19:27:16Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] **Random** , do jurors have judicial immunity? Would it be possible to sue a jury that rules against you? [/QUOTE] Jurors are immune from suits by a disappointed litigant, although that immunity isn’t always called judicial immunity. Although I haven’t researched the issue, I believe that every state recognizes this immunity, although it’s possible that individual states may vary on the extent of the immunity. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/47 "2006-10-19T23:39:45Z")
Here’s the link to the organization supporting this type of measure generally: [Jail4Judges](http://www.jail4judges.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/48 "2006-10-20T01:18:24Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] Here’s the link to the organization supporting this type of measure generally: [Jail4Judges](http://www.jail4judges.org/). [/QUOTE] Thanks. One of the links on that page let me to a brief that the founder of JAIL filed in a California case. [http://www.jail4judges.org/BransonsBriefs/BransonsPetitionUSSC.htm](http://www.jail4judges.org/BransonsBriefs/BransonsPetitionUSSC.htm) It confirmed my opinion that he’s a nutjob serial filer of the type I’ve come across before. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/49 "2006-10-21T22:11:19Z")
OK, so, suppose this passes and every judge resigns. Then what? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/50 "2006-10-23T14:34:11Z")
Dunno if South Dakota law provides for special elections for vacant judgeships, or for the Governor to fill vacancies on the bench. Of course, you’d still have to find people willing to serve, which could be a little hard, given this boneheaded amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/51 "2006-10-23T14:41:44Z")
Just looked up South Dakota law. The Governor would make an appointment to any vacant judgeship from a list of names submitted to him by the Commission on Judicial Qualifications. South Dakota Constn., Art. V, Sec. 7. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/52 "2006-11-09T03:37:42Z")
This just in (well, the results came in yesterday, November 7, 2006) S.D. Amendment E went down in flames, 89% -11% [Link](http://www.sdsos.gov/results/statwide.shtml). Thank you, South Dakota, for your votes! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/53 "2006-11-09T16:55:23Z")
Sweet! _Vox populi, vox Dei_… at least this time. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/54 "2006-11-09T16:56:13Z")
Man, I’m impressed with the South Dakota voters…voting down this measure and the anti-abortion measure. Good for them. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/55 "2006-11-16T14:04:18Z")
Does anyone who loses a court case ,not believe they got screwed over. It would plug up the system. Problem is,no organization can police itself. Those that pretend to,like police departments,medical professions, judicial and political develop self serving organizations that cover up rather than clean up . ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934/56 "2006-11-16T14:30:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Born in 1946, Ronald Branson joined the U.S. Military in 1963. He had a very strict and straight-laced view of “just doing his job.” Part of his military time was spent as a Prison Chaser over prisoners at Fort Belvoir. VA. He presided over work details and **regularly strip-searched the prisoners**. He quickly gained the respect of his superiors, and took on the reputation as the strictest Prison Chaser within the prison compound, having disciplined more prisoners than all other Prison Chasers collectively. 😃 :eek: 😕 From [here](http://www.jail4judges.org/Ron%27s%20Bio.htm). Why would you put that in your bio? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934.md?page=2)