SBM Blog

Justice Mary Beth Kelly to Leave Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court announced today that Justice Mary Beth Kelly will leave the court, effective Oct.1, to return to private practice. 

"I am grateful for the opportunity to have served on our state's highest court," she said in a statement. "I leave the Supreme Court knowing that our judicial system is better equipped to help families and children." 

Prior to serving on Michigan's high court, Justice Kelly served as a Wayne County Circuit Court judge from 1999 to 2010. She is the only woman to have ever served as chief judge of the Wayne County Circuit Court.

Posted by Samantha Meinke

Michigan Supreme Court names chief judges in Berrien, Menominee and Wayne counties

The Michigan Supreme Court appointed three new chief judges earlier this week. 

Chief Judge Gary J. Bruce replaces retired Chief Judge Thomas E. Nelson in the Berrien Unified Trial Court. Judge Bruce was first elected to the court in 1998 and has overseen the criminal division. Prior to his work as a judge he worked in private practice and served as a Berrien County assistant prosecuting attorney. He earned his law degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 

Chief Judge Jeffrey G. Barstow replaces retired Chief Judge William A. Hupy in the Menominee Probate Court. He also serves as chief judge of the 95A District Court in Menominee and was first elected in 1984. He earned his law degree at South Texas College of Law. 

Chief Judge Freddie G. Burton Jr. replaces Chief Judge Milton Mack Jr. in the Wayne County Probate Court. Judge Burton was first elected in 1987. Prior to serving as a judge, he practiced law, served as a Wayne County Commissioner and a public administrator. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Judge Mack became State Court Administrator in July. 

Posted by Samantha Meinke

 

Michigan Supreme Court appoints two business court judges

The Michigan Supreme Court appointed two judges to business courts on Tuesday.

Judge Lita M. Popke will serve on the 3rd Circuit Business Court in Wayne County. Judge Popke has served on the Third Circuit bench since 2000, and served in the court's civil division since 2012. Prior to that she practiced business law. She is a former president of the Michigan Judges Association and has served as a faculty member of the Michigan Judicial Institute New Judges Seminar.  She earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Judge Popke replaces retiring Judge Daniel P. Ryan.

Judge Richard L. Caretti will serve on the 16th Circuit Business Court in Macomb County. He has served on the 16th Circuit bench since 2002 and currently serves as the presiding judge for the court's civil division. He previously practiced business law for 23 years. He has also served as a Settlement Conference judge for the Michigan Court of Appeals and he earned his law degree from the Detroit College of Law. He also served as a police officer in the Detroit Police Department. Judge Caretti will serve in a newly-added position. 

Posted by Samantha Meinke

Michigan Judicial Institute Wins Prestigious National Award

The American Bar Association Judicial Division awarded their 2015 Judicial Education Award to the Michigan Judicial Institute on July 31 in Chicago. The award recognizes the MJI for its successful efforts in providing high quality judicial education and training to Michigan judges. 

MJI provides educational resources to Michigan judges, judiciary employees and the general public in the form of materials such as reference guides for judges, live seminars and webinars for judicial employees, oversight of the Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center, juror orientation videos and IMPACT email and podcast service that delivers summaries of recent court and legislative activities.

"The resources we offer help courts statewide be more efficient and enhance service to the public," said MJI Director Dawn McCarty. "This award is a credit to our most valuable resource  — our staff, who is dedicated to serving the trial courts." 

The MJI is a unit of the State Court Administrative Office, the administrative arm of the Michigan Supreme Court. 

Posted by Samantha Meinke

Judge Milton Mack Named State Court Administrator

The Michigan Supreme Court has announced that the Hon. Milton L. Mack Jr. has been named State Court Administrator.

Judge Mack has served on the Wayne County Probate Court since 1990, and has served as chief judge since 1998. Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Mack was an attorney in private practice, a Wayne County commissioner and a City of Wayne councilman.

He will assume his new role as State Court Administrator on July 27. He will work to improve the courts' service to the public by measuring their performance and using the data to improve outcomes, implementing new technology to help citizens access the courts and re-engineering court processes to increase efficiencies.

Posted by Samantha Meinke

Pilot online ticket review program expands to ease traffic jams at Michigan courts

A pilot online ticket review program allowing for online and mobile review and resolution of minor disputes and violations expands this week to East Lansing's 54B District Court. The program, already running in Pittsfield Township, Ypsilanti, Saline, Northfield Township, Highland Park and Bay County, allows the public to resolve tickets, outstanding fines and missed court dates without missing work. 

Supreme Court Historical Society Elects New Officers

The Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society has elected new officers and its board of directors.

Charles R. Rutherford has been elected president. He will  replace Wallace Riley, who has served as president since the society was founded in 1988. Carl W. Herstein will serve as vice president, Lawrence P. Nolan as secretary and John P. Jacobs as treasurer.

Seven members of the board of directors were reelected to three year terms, including the Hon. Avern Cohn, John G. Fedynsky, Julie I. Fershtman, Frank Kelley, Mary Massaron, John W. Reed and Janet K. Welch. Susan E. Gillooly was elected to her first term on the board.

Former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley founded the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society in 1988. The society works to preserve documents, records and memorabilia related to the Michigan Supreme Court. Find out more at www.micourthistory.org.

Posted by Samantha Meinke

Michigan Supreme Court Justices Go on the Road to Ann Arbor

The justices of the Michigan Supreme Court will travel Wednesday to Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor to hear oral arguments in Estate of Beals v State of Michigan. The hearing, scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m., will allow all Ann Arbor high school students, as well as high school students from many surrounding areas, to watch actual oral arguments in a real Michigan Supreme Court case. 

This trip is just the latest in many undertaken as part of the Court Community Connections program. In the past, the program has taken justices to Lapeer, Hastings, Saginaw, Centreville, Auburn Hills, Berrien County, Lenawee County, Dearborn, Caro, Marshall, Grand Rapids, Midland, Big Rapids and Kalamazoo.

This time, you too can watch the oral arguments live, even if you're not a high school student and you're unable to travel to Ann Arbor. For the first time ever, the Supreme Court will provide a live stream of the oral argument outside the Hall of Justice. Tune in to the live stream. 

Learn more about the Court Community Connections program. 

Posted by Samantha Meinke

In Memoriam: Justice Elizabeth "Betty" Weaver

Elizabeth “Betty” Weaver, a retired justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, died in her Glen Arbor home at the age of 74.

Weaver served as a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1995 to 2010, and served as chief justice from 1999 to 2001. Prior to her time on the Supreme Court, Weaver served as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, from 1987 to 1994. She established a national reputation for her strong views on juvenile justice during her service as a Leelanau County probate judge from 1974 until 1987. She also worked as an attorney and title specialist for the Chevron Oil Company. 

Weaver devoted herself to organizations and activities dealing with education and young people. She was appointed to committees overseeing juvenile justice by Governors Milliken, Blanchard, Engler and Granholm. Governor Engler and the Family Independence Agency recognized her with an award for outstanding service to the children and families of Michigan.

Born in New Orleans, Weaver received her bachelor’s degree from H. Sophie Newcomb College and her juris doctor from Tulane University. She moved to Michigan to work as a first grade teacher and dean of students of Leelanau-area elementary schools, and she created the course “What Everyone Should Know about the Law” at Central Michigan University Off-Campus Education Department.

State Bar of Michigan Executive Director Janet Welch served as Supreme Court counsel during Justice Weaver’s tenure as chief justice. Welch noted that when Weaver considered any court reform proposal during her tenure as chief justice, her first question was always about how the proposed change would impact the most vulnerable members of society, particularly children.

State Bar President Tom Rombach noted that as a former school teacher, Justice Weaver was a prime mover in the creation of the nationally-recognized Learning Center within the Hall of Justice in Michigan.

Arrangements are being handled by Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. 

Donations to the Learning Center, supported through voluntary State Bar of Michigan contributions, can be made here. 

Posted by Samantha Meinke

In Memoriam: Justice Robert Griffin

Robert Griffin, the 96^th justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and a former United States Senator, died April 16, 2015 at the age of 91.

Justice Griffin served in the U.S. Army before returning to attend law school at the University of Michigan, where he graduated in 1950. He began his legal career as a law clerk for Michigan Supreme Court Justice John Dethmers, before moving to Traverse City where he practiced law until 1956. That year, Griffin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1966, and was re-elected in 1972. Griffin later returned to Michigan to practice law before his election to the Michigan Supreme Court, where he served from 1987 to 1994. He received many honors over the years, including the State Bar of Michigan’s Frank Kelley Distinguished Public Service award in 2003.

State Bar of Michigan Executive Director Janet Welch, who was a law clerk for Justice Griffin, applauded Griffin’s distinguished legal and political career, and in particular his impact on young lawyers.

"In his tenure on the Michigan Supreme Court, Justice Griffin was a wonderful role model for new lawyers, embodying integrity, thoughtfulness, and dispassionate, meticulous legal reasoning,” she said.

State Bar President Tom Rombach agreed, noting that the Michigan legal community was fortunate to have an ambassador like Griffin.

“Justice Griffin was known in Washington, D.C. and throughout the country for his integrity, sense of fairness, and ability to solve problems,” Rombach said. “He loved Michigan and the practice of law, and we were very lucky to have him in our corner. He will be missed.”

A viewing is scheduled at the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice, 280 Washington St., Traverse City from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday. A funeral service will be held at noon Tuesday at the First Congregational Church, 6105 Center Rd., Traverse City. Funeral arrangements will be handled by the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City.

Posted by Lynn Ingram