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Show Opposes Proposition 3 s a member of the Utah Legislature and chairman of the Sen. lie Judiciary Committee. 1 feel a responsibility to help the i volets ol I 'tah understand that Proposition 3 (the proposed new .Indicia! rticlc that w ill be on the November ballot) is not all that its pioponents claim it to be. There are very serious (laws that need lo he worked out before it becomes law. The bill was crammed through a special session of the legislature and therc-foie therc-foie caught mans legislators off guard. It did not go through the regular legislative process of interim committee work, public heai ings. etc. I II I-. FIRST section of the bill sets up the mechanism to create another court of appeals between the District Court and the Supreme Court, a concept that has been studied by legislative interim committees for years and rejected by both houses of the legislature time and time again. We think the appeals process lakes way too long as it is. without adding another layer. Section 4 of the bill gives the five-member Supreme Court absolute pow er to make their own rules, rules such as the exclusionary exclu-sionary rule of the federal courts thai have brought disgrace upon the justice s stem of our nation, setting convicted murderers free over some tiny technicality that has no bearing on the case. , SECTION S of the bill will take away the right of the people to elect judges to office, n right we have had since statehood. Proposition Prop-osition 3 states they will be appointed to office. Section 9 says that after judges arc appointed they will run unopposed in the election process, running only on their record w uli no w a for the people to know w hat thai record is unless they e in find someone reputable who has been before the judge and is illuig to talk about it. ! ( ' I ION 13 lakes aw ay from the checks and balances over the . i I branch of government. Our present constitution now ,' e h it "jiulges may be removed from office by a two-thirds , ,e : I'oth houses of the Legislature." That's what wc cal l hecks and balances-one branch of government checking on the ot'nei 1'ioposiiion 3 makes it very clear that the Supreme Cour only '. ill have the final say in disciplining or removing a judg'. horn of'ice. Asa legislator. 1 ha e studied the judicial article as proposed ir 1'ioposiiion 3 for many , many hours. In a very limited space pass onto you the voters of Utah some of the deep concerns 1 ; have tor the future of our state if this article is passed. II. Vei l Asa Utah State Senate |