Court Says Judges Must Avoid Appearance Of Bias

Former judges and interest groups on both sides of the debate over campaign contributions weighed in on the dispute. Wal-Mart and Pepsico were part of a brief of businesses asking for a ruling that Benjamin should have removed himself from the Massey case. Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan and Utah urged the justices to let the states work out their own rules.

Kennedy noted that states remain free to impose more rigorous standards for disqualification than the court mandated Monday.

The case is Caperton v. Massey, 08-22.