Mission
Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware: Standing up for good-government and common-sense legislation to promote judicial transparency and accountability in the Delaware court system.
Our Platform
In an effort to increase transparency, diversity, and accountability throughout the state of Delaware, Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware pledges to fight for legislation in support of the following:
Establishing an independent Office of Inspector General with a degree of jurisdiction over the Chancery Court, which would ensure a rigorous and regular review process for auditing the Chancery Court’s decisions
Ensuring that appointed Members of Courts can’t serve on the Court of Judiciary, which has the power of judicial review
Ensuring that if a Justice of the Chancery Court appoints a custodian or a receiver to any Firm, Corporation or Officer of the Court for whom they were previously employed or shared business interests with, this conflict must be disclosed and consented to by both parties
Requiring that any custodian or receiver appointed by the Delaware Chancery Court itemize and make public a complete list of costs incurred because of acting in that capacity
Allowing a camera in the Chancery Court to ensure that a public record exists of the Court’s actions, allowing citizens and good government groups to audit the Court’s actions and deliberations to make sure they honor justice and transparency
Requiring ‘wheel spin’ in the Chancery Court so that Chancery Court Chancellors cannot select cases based on their own self-interest
Requiring financial disclosure by Delaware’s judges so the public can see the income they receive outside their judicial salaries, including investments, business and charitable affiliations and gifts
Requiring Delaware police officers to wear and have turned on body cameras during every shift
Creating new diversity programs to increase the recruiting and hiring of Black and brown police officers
Abolishing a provision in the Delaware Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights that allows results of investigations to be concealed from the public
Our latest advertisement featuring Martin Luther King III, Reverend Al Sharpton, and Pastor Blaine Hackett urging Governor Carney to appoint a Black judge to the Delaware Chancery Court.
History
Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware formed in response to the Chancery Court’s unjust and corrupt handling of the TransPerfect case. Since the conclusion of that litigation, CPBD has evolved into a watchdog group working to prevent the court from continuing their unjust, corrupt treatment of other businesses headquartered in Delaware and to promote judicial transparency and accountability in order to keep business in Delaware.
Business Climate in Delaware
Delaware is the long-standing business capital of the nation. The state’s pro-business policies have resulted in businesses all over the world flocking to the state to establish their headquarters in Delaware, benefiting the state economy.
This reputation is at risk - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce dropped Delaware’s business climate ten spots from #1 to #11. The Center for Public Integrity recently ranked Delaware 48th in the Nation for transparency and accountability, and 46th for judicial accountability.
The corrupt actions of the Chancery Court threaten to drive business out of the state, which would affect every single Delaware citizen.