Conservatives Praise Mike Pence for Indiana Supreme Court Pick

Governor Mike Pence earned national praise on Moday for appointing conservative stalwart Geoffrey Slaughter to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Indiana is one of the few states in America where the governor can choose justices for its highest court only from candidates approved by a judicial-selection commission, created by the Indiana Constitution. Nationwide, these “merit selection” commissions tend to be dominated by trial lawyers, who are often liberal. As a consequence, it is difficult for reliable conservatives to make it on the list of options for a governor to appoint, which has at times frustrated conservatives in Indiana.

Yet Slaughter made it through the gauntlet, and he could be the most conservative Indiana Supreme Court justice in decades.

Indiana has been in the national spotlight in recent years on various issues, from voter-ID laws to religious liberty to Second Amendment rights. The Indiana Supreme Court has what conservatives regard as a mixed record on these issues.

In his press conference announcing Justice Slaughter, Governor Pence said it was “momentous and humbling” to appoint a person to his state’s supreme court, praising Slaughter’s principles, character, and “unparalleled understanding of the Constitution.”

National conservative leaders applauded Governor Pence’s decision.

More here