Proposal 6 | Increasing Age until which Certain State Judges Can Serve--last one.

[hrmjustin]

The proposed amendment to the Constitution, amending sections 2 and 25 of article 6, would increase the maximum age until which certain state judges may serve as follows: (a) a Justice of the Supreme Court would be eligible for five additional two-year terms after the present retirement age of 70, instead of the three such terms currently authorized; and (b) a Judge of the Court of Appeals who reaches the age of 70 while in office would be permitted to remain in service on the Court for up to 10 years beyond the present retirement age of 70 in order to complete the term to which that Judge was appointed. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?

Judges of the Court of Appeals — the state’s highest court — serve 14-year terms, but under the State Constitution, they must retire once they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70, even if they have not served their terms to completion. The proposed amendment would permit a Judge who reaches the age of 70 while in office to remain in service on the Court for up to 10 additional years in order to complete the term to which that Judge was appointed.

Justices of the Supreme Court – the state’s trial and appellate division courts – also must retire at age 70 under the Constitution, but are permitted to serve up to three two-year terms after they reach retirement age if their services are needed and they are deemed competent to perform the full duties of the office. This proposal would permit Supreme Court justices to serve two additional post-retirement terms, also allowing them to serve until age 80.

http://www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/general_2013/ballot_proposals.aspx#Proposal6

[hrmjustin]

1. Reasons to Vote YES

Reasons to Vote YES
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The current mandatory retirement ages were set in 1869. Considering that life expectancy is now much higher and many senior citizens lead active and healthy lives, it no longer makes sense to force judges to retire at age 70.
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This proposal will allow the most experienced judges to remain on the bench. Older judges may be more effective than younger judges due to their experience and the fact that their decisions may be less influenced by personal career prospects.
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Four current members of the U.S. Supreme Court are over 70, and have showed no signs of slowing down. If these judges sat on New York State’s highest court, they would have already been forced to retire.


http://www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/general_2013/ballot_proposals.aspx#Proposal6

[hrmjustin]

2. Reasons to Vote NO

Reasons to Vote NO
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We need younger and more diverse judges to bring a fresh perspective to the courts – not older judges serving longer.
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This proposal could result in judges serving after they are no longer mentally or physically capable.
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All judges in New York State should be subject to the same mandatory retirement age. This proposal creates a two-tiered system where statewide judges can retire later than judges in local and specialized courts, whose current retirement age of 70 would be unaffected.

http://www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/general_2013/ballot_proposals.aspx#Proposal6

[gopiscrap]

3. no

[hrmjustin]

4. This is the only one I have not yet decided on.

[gopiscrap]

5. how come?

[hrmjustin]

6. I can see both sides of the argument. There are some judges here that are good and have to stand

down.

[hrmjustin]

7. Still undecided.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. I'm still on the fence about this one, too, but leaning yes.

My step grandfather was forced to retire from his post as head of the YMCA at age 65. He was hardly ready for that and began a whole new career. I realize that not everybody lives to 101, let alone maintaining a sound mind, but some of our best Supreme Court justices have been the eldest, like John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.