Michigan panel recommends judicial campaign reform

May 30, 2012

Michigan: Last month, the Michigan Judicial Selection Task Force, formed in 2010, released recommendations to improve the state's method of choosing judges. Michigan judges participate in nonpartisan elections, though Supreme Court nominees are selected at political party conventions. That process is one that the panel advocates abolishing, instead suggesting that nominees for the high court are chosen in the same manner as other judicial nominees.

The group also called for changes to the Campaign Finance Act. They encouraged establishing a registry to keep track of individuals and groups who support judicial campaigns and special interests.

In regards to interim court appointments, the Task Force supports creating a judicial selection commission to select nominees for the governor to chose from when appointing judges to fill vacancies. A minority of the panel also suggested switching the state's method of judicial selection altogether, moving toward a commission-based, political appointment system.

Ultimately, the recommendations made by the group are just that. However, the head of the panel, Justice Marilyn Kelly, says that the next step is to discuss these proposals with the governor and Senate Judiciary Committee to improve judicial selection in the state.