Follow the court: examining judicial homestyle through extrajudicial communications on state court Twitter

By: Cayleb B Stives, Todd A Curry

Abstract:��

Because the connection between the public and judges on state courts is significantly more nuanced, and in many instances, direct, social networking sites like X.com (formerly Twitter) have become a favored communication platform for fostering personal connections between political elites and their intended audiences. It is within these parasocial relationships we argue that favorable perceptions can be reinforced, bolstering the legitimacy of political actors and the institutions they represent. This work articulates a novel theory that compares the extrajudicial communication strategies used by judges on Twitter to those of career influencers. Using two prominent judges on Twitter, we provide examples of how this behavior is utilized in a non-political fashion to increase their network reach and engagement. By identifying and documenting what we coin “judicial influencer” behaviors, our work provides a framework for future research in political figures leveraging parasocial relationships to increase their personal notoriety and institutional legitimacy.