I agree with Judy Price (Readers' Forum, April 23) that judges should be elected. The system in which judges are appointed is vague and incomplete.

While attending a speaking engagement by Chief Justice Christine Durham at UVSC, I was in awe when she related how she was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court. As an attorney, she worked behind the scenes and rarely appeared in court. Upon her appointment, she stated she was handed a robe and an armful of briefs and was, in essence, told to "go to work."

Boyd Petrie claims an elected judge would be "one of the most frightening ideas he ever considered." If an election were held, at least the public would be aware of the legal background and integrity of a future judge.

My question is: Are all judges impartial and fair? Most judges are ex-prosecutors. All I can say is "once a prosecutor, always a prosecutor."

Marilyn West

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Provo

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