Michigan Supreme Court Decisions
Seven justices serve on the Michigan Supreme Court, which focuses on reviewing decisions in the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Court oversees all of the lower courts in the state judicial system, and it has created the Michigan Rules of Court to govern their operation. It also has jurisdiction over cases involving alleged judicial misconduct. In some unusual situations, such as bypass appeals, the Court may hold original jurisdiction.
To serve on the Michigan Supreme Court, a candidate must be younger than 70, which is the mandatory retirement age in Michigan. They also must have been licensed to practice law in Michigan for at least five years. Each justice serves an eight-year term. They are elected in non-partisan elections, which means that their party affiliation does not appear on the ballot. The justices elect one of their members to serve as the Chief Justice every two years. If a seat becomes vacant before the end of a justice’s term, the Governor of Michigan will appoint a temporary justice to fill that seat. Their tenure will last until the next general election, when they must win an election to stay on the Court.
A justice may be removed from the Michigan Supreme Court through an impeachment process. This requires a majority vote by the Michigan House of Representatives and a two-thirds vote of conviction by the Michigan Senate. In other cases, the Governor may remove a justice from the Court based on a concurrent resolution by two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In contrast to many states, a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court may not be removed based on a recommendation by the Judicial Tenure Commission. Only judges in lower courts may be removed in this manner.
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Recent Decisions From the Michigan Supreme Court
Date: April 22, 2024
Docket Number: 162601
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Daniel L. Renner, a groundskeeper for Saginaw County, Michigan, who was part of a bargaining unit represented by the Technical, Professional, and Officeworkers Association of Michigan (the Union).…
Date: April 9, 2024
Docket Number: 164261
Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Pegasus Wind, LLC's request for variances to construct eight additional wind turbines near the Tuscola Area Airport. The Tuscola Area Airport Zoning Board of Appeals (AZBA) denied the variances,…
Date: March 25, 2024
Docket Number: 165162
Date: March 20, 2024
Docket Number: 164190
Justia Opinion Summary: The Michigan Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion, addressed the applicability of the Recreational Land Use Act (RUA) and the owner-liability provision of the Michigan Vehicle Code to a case involving a fatal off-road…
Date: July 31, 2023
Docket Number: 162260
Justia Opinion Summary: The Judicial Tenure Commission (the JTC) filed a formal complaint against Third Circuit Court Judge Tracy E. Green, alleging that she covered up evidence of child abuse (Count I) and that she made false statements about…
Date: July 31, 2023
Docket Number: 162373
Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Dametrius Posey and a codefendant were tried jointly before a jury on multiple counts of assault with intent to murder; assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder; carrying a weapon with…
Date: July 31, 2023
Docket Number: 162497
Justia Opinion Summary: Joshua L-J Stewart was convicted by jury on three counts of armed robbery; assault with intent to commit murder; receiving and concealing stolen property valued between $1,000 and $20,000; and possession of a firearm…
Date: July 31, 2023
Docket Number: 163742
Justia Opinion Summary: Vectren Infrastructure Services Corporation, the successor in interest to Minnesota Limited, Inc. (ML), sued the Department of Treasury (the Department) in the Michigan Court of Claims, alleging that the Department had…
Date: July 31, 2023
Docket Number: 164772
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Andary, conservator and guardian of Ellen Andary; Ronald Krueger, guardian of Philip Krueger; and Moriah, Inc., doing business as Eisenhower Center, brought an action against USAA Casualty Insurance Company and…
Date: July 28, 2023
Docket Number: 162327
Justia Opinion Summary: Frank King was charged as a fourth-offense habitual offender with breaking and entering. Before trial, defendant moved to proceed in propria persona and to terminate his relationship with his appointed counsel. The trial…
Date: July 28, 2023
Docket Number: 162907
Date: July 28, 2023
Docket Numbers: 162907, 163430
Justia Opinion Summary: Two cases consolidated for the Michigan Supreme Court's review involved premises liability, specifically slip-and-fall instances where plaintiffs both argued while the hazards were open and obvious, they were…
Date: July 28, 2023
Docket Number: 163430
Date: July 28, 2023
Docket Number: 163559
Justia Opinion Summary: Agnes Cramer petitioned for workers’ compensation benefits for the alleged physical and mental injuries she sustained after suffering an electrical shock and falling from a ladder while working for Transitional Health…
Date: July 27, 2023
Docket Number: 164055
Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Menayetta Yeager was convicted by jury of first-degree murder, and carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of her boyfriend, Jonte Brooks. In 2017, Brooks…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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