Michigan Court of Appeals

	Michigan Court of Appeals
	Court information
Judges:	24
Founded:	1963
Salary:	Associates: $195,625
	Judicial selection
Method:	Nonpartisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

Judges of the Michigan Court of Appeals, December 2015

The Michigan Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Michigan. It is divided into four districts. The court was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, Article VI, Section 1, under which the State of Michigan has "one court of justice."^[1]^[2]^[3]

Due to reduced filings, legislation was enacted in 2012 to gradually reduce the number of judges from 28 to 24 through attrition.^[1] As of November 2024, 25 judges served on the Michigan Court of Appeals.^[4]

Overview

“	The judicial power of the state is vested exclusively in one court of justice which shall be divided into one supreme court, one court of appeals, one trial court of general jurisdiction known as the circuit court, one probate court, and courts of limited jurisdiction that the legislature may establish by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to and serving in each house.^[5]	”
—The Constitution of Michigan of 1963, ^[6]

In 1965, when the Court of Appeals first assembled, it had nine judges: Chief Judge T. John Lesinski, Chief Judge pro tempore John W. Fitzgerald, Judge Robert B. Burns, Judge John H. Gillis, Judge Donald E. Holbrook, Judge Thomas Giles Kavanagh, Judge Louis D. McGregor, Judge Timothy C. Quinn and Judge John D. Watts. The court had offices in three cities: Lansing, Detroit and Grand Rapids. The court opened another office in Southfield in 1994, which was moved to Troy in 2004.^[2]

Court size changes

The Michigan State Legislature first increased the size of the Court of Appeals bench to 12 judges in 1969. In 1974, the number of judges increased to 18, and then to 24 in 1988. In 1993, the number of judges was set at 28. Annual case filings ranged from 1,235 in 1965 to a record 13,352 in 1992. By the latter half of the 1990s, the court's filings averaged more than 8,000 cases annually. During the first decade of the 2000s, filings decreased to an average of 6,200, sparking legislation in 2012 to cut the number of judgeships to 24 through attrition. As of November 2024, 25 judges served on the Michigan Court of Appeals.^[1]^[2]^[4]

Proposal for cuts

In 2011, Republican Governor Rick Snyder recommended that the Michigan Court of Appeals reduce its number of judges due to budgetary concerns. Two court of appeals judgeships were rumored to be cut. Chief Judge William B. Murphy called on the court to be part of the "shared sacrifice," explaining, "The Court wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."^[7]

Published opinions of the Michigan Court of Appeals can be found here.

Districts

The Court of Appeals is divided into four districts with the following offices:

Michigan First District Court of Appeals - Detroit
Michigan Second District Court of Appeals - Troy
Michigan Third District Court of Appeals - Grand Rapids
Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals - Lansing

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Michigan

The judges of the Michigan Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to remain on the court. Unlike the supreme court, candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. Judges on the appeals court serve six-year terms.^[9]

Qualifications

To be elected to the appeals court, a judge must:

be a qualified elector of his or her district;
be licensed to practice law in the state;
have at least five years of law practice experience;
be under the age of 70.^[9]

Chief judge

The chief judge of the appeals court is selected by supreme court appointment for a term lasting two years.^[9]

Vacancies

The process for filling vacancies on the appeals court is identical to that used by the supreme court. With the assistance of the judicial qualifications committee, the governor names a replacement to serve until the next general election.^[9]

Salary

See also: Michigan court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $195,625, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[10]

Elections

2024

See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of nine Michigan intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 1, 2025. The nine seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 5, 2024. A primary election scheduled for August 6, 2024, was unnecessary as there were not enough candidates who filed. The deadline for incumbents to file affidavits of candidacy was March 25, 2024. The filing deadline for non-incumbents was April 23, 2024.^[11]

Candidates and results

1st District

General election

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Kirsten Frank Kelly and incumbent Michael Riordan won election in the general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kirsten Frank Kelly (Nonpartisan)	58.0	626,399
✔		Michael Riordan (Nonpartisan)	42.0	453,515

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,079,914
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Kirsten Frank Kelly and incumbent Michael Riordan advanced from the primary for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals.

2nd District (Incumbent race)

General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Adrienne Young and incumbent Randy Wallace won election in the general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Adrienne Young (Nonpartisan)	51.7	703,175
✔	Submit photo	Randy Wallace (Nonpartisan)	48.3	655,701

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,358,876
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Randy Wallace and incumbent Adrienne Young advanced from the primary for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals.

2nd District (Non-incumbent race)

General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals

Matthew Ackerman defeated Latoya Willis in the general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Matthew Ackerman (Nonpartisan)	55.0	565,378
	Latoya Willis (Nonpartisan)	45.0	461,806

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,027,184
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Matthew Ackerman and Latoya Willis advanced from the primary for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Lisa Marie Neilson (Nonpartisan)

3rd District

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Christopher P. Yates and incumbent Philip Mariani won election in the general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christopher P. Yates (Nonpartisan)	52.2	728,364
✔	Submit photo	Philip Mariani (Nonpartisan)	47.8	666,575

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,394,939
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Philip Mariani and incumbent Christopher P. Yates advanced from the primary for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals.

4th District

General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Stephen L. Borrello won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan)	100.0	818,555

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 818,555
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Stephen L. Borrello advanced from the primary for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals.

4th District (Partial term ending 1/1/2027)

General election

Special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Allie Greenleaf Maldonado won election in the special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Allie Greenleaf Maldonado (Nonpartisan)	100.0	808,397

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 808,397
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Allie Greenleaf Maldonado advanced from the special primary for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals.

2022

See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of seven Michigan intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 1, 2023. Two special elections were also called for partial terms ending on January 1, 2027. One special election was called for a partial term ending on January 1, 2025. The 10 seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 8, 2022. The filing deadline for non-incumbents was April 19, 2022.^[12] The deadline for incumbents to file affidavits of candidacy was March 21, 2022.^[13]

Candidates and results

First District Court of Appeals

Garrett and Cameron's seats (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Kristina Robinson Garrett and incumbent Thomas Cameron won election in the general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kristina Robinson Garrett (Nonpartisan)	51.8	465,881
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Cameron (Nonpartisan)	48.2	432,894

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 898,775
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Hood's seat (special)

General election

Special general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Noah Hood won election in the special general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Noah Hood (Nonpartisan)	100.0	522,016

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 522,016
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Second District Court of Appeals

O'Brien's seat (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Colleen O'Brien won election in the general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Colleen O'Brien (Nonpartisan)	100.0	654,634

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 654,634
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Patel's seat (special)

General election

Special general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Sima Patel defeated Michael D. Warren Jr. in the special general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sima Patel (Nonpartisan)	56.7	467,524
	Michael D. Warren Jr. (Nonpartisan)	43.3	356,424

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 823,948
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Third District Court of Appeals

Redford's seat (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent James Robert Redford won election in the general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Robert Redford (Nonpartisan)	100.0	686,786

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 686,786
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Yates' seat (special)

General election

Special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Christopher P. Yates won election in the special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christopher P. Yates (Nonpartisan)	100.0	686,680

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 686,680
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Sawyer vacancy (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals

Kathleen Feeney defeated Raymond P. Voet in the general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kathleen Feeney (Nonpartisan)	61.9	489,462
	Submit photo	Raymond P. Voet (Nonpartisan)	38.1	301,504

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 790,966
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Kerene Moore (Nonpartisan)

Fourth District Court of Appeals

Gadola and Swartzle's seats (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Michael Gadola and incumbent Brock Swartzle won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Michael Gadola (Nonpartisan)	51.9	609,657
✔		Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan)	48.1	565,831

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,175,488
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Judges not on the ballot

David Sawyer

Vacancies

First District Court of Appeals
Judge Karen Fort Hood created a vacancy when she passed away on August 15, 2021.^[14] Noah Hood was appointed to replace Hood until the November 2022 election.

Second District Court of Appeals
Judge Jonathan Tukel created a vacancy when he passed away on September 17, 2021.^[15] Sima Patel was appointed to replace Tukel until the November 2022 election.

Third District Court of Appeals
Judge Jane Beckering created a vacancy when she was appointed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Christopher P. Yates was appointed to replace Beckering until the November 2022 election.

2020

See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of 11 Michigan Court of Appeals justices expired on January 1, 2021. The 11 seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.

Candidates and election results

First District Court of Appeals

Hood, Letica, and Murray's seats

General election

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (3 seats)

Incumbent Karen Fort Hood, incumbent Christopher Murray, and incumbent Anica Letica won election in the general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Karen Fort Hood (Nonpartisan)	37.9	594,032
✔		Christopher Murray (Nonpartisan)	31.8	497,982
✔	Submit photo	Anica Letica (Nonpartisan)	30.3	475,710

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,567,724
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Second District Court of Appeals

Cavanagh and Tukel's seats

General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Mark Cavanagh and incumbent Jonathan Tukel won election in the general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mark Cavanagh (Nonpartisan)	57.0	838,435
✔		Jonathan Tukel (Nonpartisan)	43.0	632,060

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,470,495
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Third District Court of Appeals

Boonstra and Markey's seats (regular)

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Jane Markey and incumbent Mark Boonstra won election in the general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jane Markey (Nonpartisan)	51.1	733,880
✔	Submit photo	Mark Boonstra (Nonpartisan)	48.9	701,411

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,435,291
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Redford's seat (special)

General election

Special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent James Robert Redford won election in the special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Robert Redford (Nonpartisan)	100.0	817,016

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817,016
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Fourth District Court of Appeals

Kelly and Krause's seats=

General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Michael J. Kelly and incumbent Amy Ronayne Krause won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Michael J. Kelly (Nonpartisan)	52.4	738,520
✔	Submit photo	Amy Ronayne Krause (Nonpartisan)	47.6	670,234

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,408,754
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Meter vacancy

General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

Michelle Rick won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Rick (Nonpartisan)	100.0	802,117

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 802,117
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Judges not on the ballot

Patrick Meter

2018

See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

The terms of 11 Michigan Court of Appeals judges expired on December 31, 2018. All stood for nonpartisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. A full term on the court is six years.

Candidates and results

First District Court of Appeals

Kelly and Riordan's seats

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kirsten Frank Kelly (Nonpartisan)	56.1	572,883
✔		Michael Riordan (Nonpartisan)	43.9	447,658

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,020,541
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Cameron's seat (unexpired term)

Special general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Cameron (Nonpartisan)	100.0	591,516

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 591,516
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Second District Court of Appeals

Gleicher, Jansen, and Servitto's seats

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals (3 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kathleen Jansen (Nonpartisan)	34.2	592,091
✔	Submit photo	Elizabeth L. Gleicher (Nonpartisan)	33.0	570,856
✔	Submit photo	Deborah Servitto (Nonpartisan)	32.8	566,771

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,729,718
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Tukel's seat (unexpired term)

Special general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Tukel (Nonpartisan)	100.0	683,743

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 683,743
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Third District Court of Appeals

Beckering and Shapiro's seats

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jane M. Beckering (Nonpartisan)	52.1	678,505
✔	Submit photo	Douglas Shapiro (Nonpartisan)	47.9	622,681

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,301,186
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Fourth District Court of Appeals

Borrello's seat

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan)	100.0	744,970

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 744,970
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=Swartzle's seat (unexpired term)

Special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan)	100.0	730,278

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 730,278
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2016

Candidates

First District (two seats)

■ Nicole James
■ Cynthia Stephens (D) (Incumbent)
■ Kurtis Wilder (Incumbent)

Second District

Judge O'Brien's seat

■ Colleen O'Brien (R) (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Third District

Judge Hoekstra's seat

■ Joel Hoekstra (R) (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Judge Sawyer's seat

■ David Sawyer (R) (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Fourth District

Judge Gadola's seat

■ Michael Gadola (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Note: Gadola does not have a listed party affilation, as he was appointed to the office by Gov. Rick Snyder (R) in 2014.

Election results

November 8 general election

Incumbent Cynthia Stephens and incumbent Kurtis Wilder defeated Nicole James in the general election for the Michigan First District Court of Appeals, two seats.

Michigan First District Court of Appeals, Two Seats, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Cynthia Stephens Incumbent	44.40%	475,106
	Unknown	Kurtis Wilder Incumbent	33.94%	363,197
	Unknown	Nicole James	21.66%	231,801
Total Votes (85 of 83 counties: 100%)				1,070,104
Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Colleen O'Brien ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Second District Court of Appeals, O'Brien's seat.

Michigan Second District Court of Appeals, O'Brien's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Colleen O'Brien Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	747,475
Total Votes (86 of 83 counties: 100%)				747,475
Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Joel Hoekstra ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Hoekstra's seat.

Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Hoekstra's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Joel Hoekstra Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	660,672
Total Votes (87 of 83 counties: 100%)				660,672
Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent David Sawyer ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Sawyer's seat.

Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Sawyer's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	David Sawyer Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	578,634
Total Votes (88 of 83 counties: 100%)				578,634
Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Michael Gadola ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals, Gadola's seat.

Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals, Gadola's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Unknown	Michael Gadola Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	711,641
Total Votes (89 of 83 counties: 100%)				711,641
Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

2014

First District

First District, candidates competed for 3 open seats

Candidate	Incumbency	Election Vote
MurrayChristopher Murray A	Yes	A
TalbotMichael Talbot A	Yes	A
HoodKaren Fort Hood A	Yes	A

Second District

Second District, candidates competed for 2 open seats

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
SaadHenry Saad A	Yes		A
CavanaghMark Cavanagh A	Yes		A

Third District

Third District, candidates competed for 2 open seats

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
BoonstraMark Boonstra A	Yes		A
MarkeyJane Markey A	Yes		A

Fourth District

Fourth District, candidates competed for 3 open seats

Candidate	Incumbency	Election Vote
MeterPatrick Meter A	Yes	A
KellyMichael J. Kelly (Michigan)A	Yes	A
KrauseAmy Krause A	Yes	A

See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2014

2012

First District

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
KellyKirsten Frank Kelly A	Yes		100% A
RiordanMichael Riordan A	Yes		100% A

Second District

Candidate	Incumbency	Election Vote
ServittoDeborah Servitto A	Yes	100% A
GleicherElizabeth Gleicher A	Yes	100% A
JansenKathleen Jansen A	Yes	100% A

Third District

Candidate	Incumbency	Election Vote
ShapiroDouglas Shapiro A	Yes	100% A
BeckeringJane Beckering A	Yes	100% A
BoonstraMark Boonstra A	Yes	100% A
MurphyWilliam B. Murphy A	Yes	100% A

Fourth District

Candidate	Incumbency	Election Vote
KrauseAmy Krause A	Yes	100% A
O'ConnellPeter O'Connell A	Yes	100% A
BorrelloStephen Borrello A	Yes	100% A

See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2012

Ethics

The Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Michigan. It consists of eight overarching canons:

“

Canon 1: A Judge Should Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary
Canon 2: A Judge Should Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in All Activities
Canon 3: A Judge Should Perform the Duties of Office Impartially and Diligently
Canon 4: A Judge May Engage in Extrajudicial Activities
Canon 5: Applicability of the Code of Judicial Conduct to Judicial Candidates
Canon 6: A Judge Should Regularly File Reports of Compensation Received for Quasi-Judicial and Extra-Judicial Activities and of Monetary Contributions
Canon 7: A Judge or a Candidate for Judicial Office Should Refrain From Political Activity Inappropriate to Judicial Office
Canon 8: Collective Activity By Judges^[16]^[5]

”

The full text of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Michigan may be removed in one of three ways:

The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission may make a recommendation to the Michigan Supreme Court that a judge be suspended, retired, censured, or removed^[17]
A judge may be removed by the governor of Michigan with a concurrent resolution of two-thirds of the members of both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate^[18]
The Michigan House of Representatives can impeach a judge by a majority vote, and the Michigan Senate can then convict a judge with a two-thirds vote.^[19]

State profile

Demographic data for Michigan
	Michigan	U.S.
Total population:	9,917,715	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	56,539	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	79%	73.6%
Black/African American:	14%	12.6%
Asian:	2.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.6%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.9%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$49,576	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	20%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan

Michigan voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 12 are located in Michigan, accounting for 5.83 percent of the total pivot counties.^[20]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Michigan had 11 Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 6.08 and 4.00 of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Michigan coverage on Ballotpedia

Related: Fact check/Does a Michigan judgeship cost taxpayers $450,000 annually?

External links

Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals"

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Michigan Courts, "About the Court," accessed October 12, 2015
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals History," archived October 1, 2015
↑ Michigan Courts, "Current Judges," archived January 21, 2014
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals," accessed November 6, 2024
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Michigan Legislature, "Article VI § 1," 2009
↑ MLive.com, "West Michigan would lose State Appeals Court judge under Gov. Snyder's plan," April 14, 2011
↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 27, 2021
↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Judicial Elective Offices," accessed January 16, 2024
↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-INCUMBENT JUDICIAL CANDIDATES," January 27, 2022
↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "AFFIDAVIT OF CANDIDACY," accessed February 2, 2022
↑ Record Eagle,"Michigan Appeals Court Judge Karen Fort Hood has died," August 16, 2021
↑ Detroit News, "Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan Tukel dies," September 17, 2021
↑ Michigan Judicial Branch, "Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed August 18, 2025
↑ State of Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, "What the Commission CAN Do," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ Justia US Law, "Michigan Constitution Article VI - JUDICIAL BRANCH § 25 Removal of judges from office," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ JUSTIA US Law, "Michigan Supreme Court Decisions," accessed August 18, 2025
↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

Michigan courts

Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan

State courts:

Michigan Supreme Court • Michigan Court of Appeals • Michigan Circuit Court • Michigan Court of Claims • Michigan District Courts • Michigan Municipal Courts • Michigan Probate Courts

State resources:

Courts in Michigan • Michigan judicial elections • Judicial selection in Michigan

[about-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Michigan Courts, "About the Court," accessed October 12, 2015

[history-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals History," archived October 1, 2015

[3] Michigan Courts, "Current Judges," archived January 21, 2014

[number-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals," accessed November 6, 2024

[quotedisclaimer-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[6] Michigan Legislature, "Article VI § 1," 2009

[7] MLive.com, "West Michigan would lose State Appeals Court judge under Gov. Snyder's plan," April 14, 2011

[8] The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.

[MIselect-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 27, 2021

[10] National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025

[11] Michigan Secretary of State, "Judicial Elective Offices," accessed January 16, 2024

[12] Michigan Secretary of State, "FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-INCUMBENT JUDICIAL CANDIDATES," January 27, 2022

[13] Michigan Secretary of State, "AFFIDAVIT OF CANDIDACY," accessed February 2, 2022

[14] Record Eagle,"Michigan Appeals Court Judge Karen Fort Hood has died," August 16, 2021

[death-15] Detroit News, "Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan Tukel dies," September 17, 2021

[16] Michigan Judicial Branch, "Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed August 18, 2025

[17] State of Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, "What the Commission CAN Do," accessed July 17, 2023

[18] Justia US Law, "Michigan Constitution Article VI - JUDICIAL BRANCH § 25 Removal of judges from office," accessed July 17, 2023

[19] JUSTIA US Law, "Michigan Supreme Court Decisions," accessed August 18, 2025

[20] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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Michigan Court of Appeals

Court information
Judges:	24
Founded:	1963
Salary:	Associates: $195,625^[8]
Judicial selection
Method:	Nonpartisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

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