Lawyer Legislators & Their Judges - Will Folks

In this episode of Frogmore Stew, host Grace Cowan talks with Will Folks of FitsNews about needed judicial selection reform in South Carolina. They discuss the power of lawyer legislators controlling the selection of judges they will appear before and the conflict of interest that presents. They get into the issues of public trust, crime rates, and the importance of comprehensive reform beyond the selection process. 00:00 Introduction to Frogmore Stew with Grace and Will Foulkes 00:39 Understanding the Judicial Merit Selection Commission 01:18 The Role of Lawyer Legislators in the Selection Process 01:39 Exploring the Unique Judicial Selection Process in South Carolina 02:04 The Debate on Executive Branch Involvement in Judicial Selection 02:18 The Process of Judicial Screening and Appointment 03:17 Proposals for Reconfiguring the Judicial Selection Panel 04:14 The Influence of Partisan Politics in Judicial Selection 04:27 The Impact of Outside Interests on Judicial Selection 07:44 The Problem of Perception in the Judicial Selection Process 09:04 The Role of the Judicial Selection Committee in Violent Crime Cases 14:36 The Need for Greater Representation of Women in the Judiciary 23:48 The Challenges and Potential Solutions for Judicial Reform 33:08 Closing Remarks and Future Discussions 33:34 Podcast Credits Copyright 2025 Grace Cowan The Poets of Rhythm - "South Carolina FITSNews - Independent. Unapologetic.