Mich. Judges Likely to Rule on Proposal to Cut Judicial Pay and Jobs
Michigan judges who could face pay cuts or lose their jobs under a proposed constitutional amendment will likely be asked to decide if the measure gets on the November ballot.
Republicans and business groups will probably file suit, the Associated Press reports. They see the measure as an attempt by Democrats to reshape the state supreme court.
The measure would cut the state supreme court from seven to five members by eliminating the justices with the least seniority—both Republicans, according to the story. After the cuts, the court would have three Republicans and two Democrats. A ruling on the measure could also make Republican Chief Justice Clifford Taylor a target for criticism and threaten his job when he stands for re-election; he is the only justice whose term ends this year.
The proposal cuts the number of intermediate appeals judges from 28 to 21 while adding 10 trial judges. It also would slash pay for all judges by 15 percent.
Backers of the proposal say judges have a conflict of interest and can’t rule on the measure. But some ethics experts disagree. Law professor Frank Ravitch of Michigan State told AP that judges will have to decide the case under the rule of necessity. “Somebody’s going to have to sit to hear the case,” he said.
