A broad-based Judicial Selection Task Force co-chaired by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly and senior federal circuit judge (and former Michigan Supreme Court justice) James Ryan issued its recommendations today, concluding a process that began in December 2010. Contrary to the expectations of many, the Task Force did not call for changing Michigan's selection process to a non-elective process. Instead, the Report calls for a number of measures to reform the existing process.
The key recommendations in the JSTF Report (PDF) are:
- Public disclosure of all judicial campaign spending.
- Implementation of an open primary system.
- Increased citizen involvement in judicial candidate screening and in nongovernmental oversight of judicial campaign conduct and advertising.
- Voter education guides on judicial candidates.
- Elimination of the mandatory retirement age for judges.
Full disclosure: this blogger served as a member of the Task Force.
