Michigan Supreme Court
From Ballotpedia
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices, who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot. Supreme Court candidates must be qualified electors, licensed to practice law in Michigan for at least five years, and under 70 years of age at the time of election. Vacancies are filled by appointment of the Governor until the next general election. Every two years, the justices elect a member of the Court to serve as Chief Justice.
Each year, the Court receives over 2,000 new case filings. In most cases, the litigants seek review of Michigan Court of Appeals [1] decisions, but the Supreme Court also hears cases of attorney and judicial misconduct, as well as a small number of matters over which the Court has original jurisdiction. The Court issues a decision by order or opinion in all cases filed with it.
The Court's other duties include overseeing the operations of all state trial courts; the Court is assisted by the State Court Administrative Office [2], an agency of the Court. The Court's responsibilities also include a public comment process for changes to court rules, rules of evidence, and other administrative matters. The court has broad superintending control power over all the state courts in Michigan.
Under Article 6, Section 30 of the Michigan Constitution, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission is created. This is an agency within the judiciary, which has jurisdiction over allegations of judicial misconduct, misbehavior, and infirmity. The Supreme Court is given original, superintending control power, and appellate jurisdiction over the issue of penalty (up to and including removal of judges from office).[3]
The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing, the state capital.
Contents |
Michigan Supreme Court rulings on ballot measures
| Year | Type | Ballot measure | Legal issue | Plaintiff | Defendant | Court ruling | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Current Justices
- Clifford Taylor, 1997 - present, Chief Justice 2005 - present
- Michael Cavanagh, 1982 - present, Chief Justice 1991 - 1995
- Elizabeth Weaver, 1994 - present, Chief Justice 1999 - 2000
- Marilyn Jean Kelly, 1996 - present
- Maura Corrigan, 1998 - present, Chief Justice 2001 - 2004
- Robert Young Jr. 1999 - present
- Stephen Markman 1999 - present
References
- ↑ Michigan Court of Appeals website
- ↑ State Court Administrative service website
- ↑ See, Matter of Del Rio, 400 Mich. 665.
