New York state last month joined the parade with what is thought to be the most restrictive rule yet. Its proposed rule states flatly that “no case shall be assigned” by court administrators to a judge when the lawyers or any of the participants involved donated $2,500 or more in the preceding two years.

Interestingly, the New York rule was promulgated over concern that trial lawyers were making huge contributions in judicial elections and receiving favors from judges in return. Here in Wisconsin, it’s WMC in particular that has lavished tens of thousands of dollars on Supreme Court campaigns to elect conservative justices, who then make decisions on cases involving their campaign benefactors.

Since the court has autonomy, there isn’t much that can be done to get the Wisconsin high court to act sensibly on an issue that goes right to heart of the court’s credibility, except, of course, when the people get to make their voices heard during an election. And Justice David Prosser must face the voters in April.

In another action that voters should consider, Prosser’s campaign manager raised eyebrows several weeks ago by claiming that the justice’s re-election would protect “the conservative judicial majority and act as a common sense complement to both the new (Walker) administration and (Republican-controlled) Legislature.”