By Dennis J. Riley

I've been fortunate to have an involvement in various elements of government since 1957. My lifetime has included tenures as a newspaper reporter, radio newsman, state employee (health, judicial and legislative departments) and a ten-year tenure on a congressional staff. My early working days as a reporter (Norwich Bulletin, Hartford Times, New London Day) developed a strong and continuing advocacy of openness in all levels of government.

That's part of the foundation for my belief that operations of Connecticut's Judicial Selection Commission should be totally public. I found my three years on the agency (2001 to 2004) as one of the most pleasurable in my government service. But I always felt a little uneasy with the secrecy of its programming--something, I know, that lawyer-aspirants for judgeships as well as sitting judges going through a confirmation stage thoroughly favor.

I don't subscribe to the theory that opening the JSC to public scrutiny will adversely impact the caliber of candidates seeking appointment to the state bench. Judicial appointments are the public's business--through every phase of the process. It is the taxpaying public that finances those jobs and taxpayers have a right to know all about the process.

I find it strange that the neighboring state of Rhode Island completely opens its judicial-selection process to the public. I spend some summer time in that state and the Providence Journal regularly reports on the candidates, their backgrounds, the hearings and all that is involved at that level of job-search.

Some lawyers say they would not want their firms to know of their search for a judgeship; others say they would not want to be embarrassed should they seek clearance from the commission and be turned down. I say that's blarney. If you want to play in the process, be willing to be up front.

Rhode Island has never been known as a state with top-drawer government but it certainly is ahead of the Nutmeg state on judicial processing. Time for a change--a courageous one. But don't bet on it materializing.

Dennis J. Riley is retired from state government. He lives in Norwich

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