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Detroit News
Lansing— The Michigan Supreme Court elected Robert Young Jr. today as its new chief justice.
He replaces Justice Marilyn Kelly as the top judge on the seven-member court. Kelly now is one of three Democrats in the court’s minority.
The justices made their selection during a private meeting. No official vote was released, but the court now has four Republicans.
The 59-year-old Young was re-elected in November to an eight-year term. He’s a conservative Republican from the Detroit area who was appointed to the court in 1999 and first elected in 2002.
Among his top priorities will be reducing the number of judgeships statewide and encouraging court consolidation to save money.
“Budget cutting alone will not be enough,” Young said in a release. “There is room for meaningful change and improvement in the third branch of government, even as we do our part to address the state’s budget crisis.” Republican Justice Maura Corrigan is expected to resign soon to lead the Department of Human Services under the new governor, Republican Rick Snyder, who will name her replacement.
New Chief Justice Says Trial Judge Must be Cut
Associated Press
DETROIT – Robert Young Jr. was chosen chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday, and he immediately declared that he would recommend that lawmakers cut the number of trial judges because of an extraordinary state budget crisis.
Young, a conservative from the Detroit area, was chosen during a private meeting of the court. He refused to release the vote, but Republicans are back in the majority, 4-3, after the fall election.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he jokingly referred to his new post as being a “fire hydrant in the dog pound.”
“You are the administrative head, both of the court and the third branch of government,” said Young, 59, who was re-elected to another eight-year term in November.
He wants Michigan to consolidate its county courts where possible and eliminate many judgeships due to declining population, caseloads and a lack of money. Young said the Supreme Court recommended getting rid of 20 slots in 2007 but lawmakers refused.
“We’re now years past that with a yawning budget crisis,” said Young, adding that a new report soon will recommend even more cuts.
Young and newcomer Mary Beth Kelly were elected in a Republican sweep of Michigan’s top offices. Former Justice Elizabeth Weaver campaigned against him and disclosed that Young, who is black, had used the N-word during a private conference with other justices in 2006.
Weaver said she had proof because she secretly recorded the court’s discussions while participating by conference call. After the election, the court sent her a letter of rebuke.
Young said he won’t ask Weaver to surrender any tapes or transcripts.
“It’s time to leave and bury the past and move forward,” he said. More change is looming at the court.
Justice Maura Corrigan is expected to resign soon to lead the Department of Human Services under the new governor, Rick Snyder, who would then name her replacement.
Detroit Legal News Examiner
By Margaret Lucas Agius
The justices of the Michigan Supreme Court have elected Robert P. Young, Jr. as Chief Justice, the court announced today. The court elects a chief justice at the beginning of every odd-numbered year.
A Detroit native, Young earned both undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University. He began his legal career in 1978 with the law firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen, & Freeman. In 1992, he joined AAA Michigan as its vice-president, corporate secretary and general counsel.
Governor John Engler appointed him to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1995, followed by Young’s election to that court in 1996. Engler then appointed him to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1999, followed by Young’s election in 2002 and re-election in 2010.
Young served as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School for a number of years. He is the author of “Active Liberty and the Problem of Judicial Oligarchy,” in The Supreme Court and the Idea of Constitutionalism (Kautz, Melzer, Weinberger & Zinman, Eds., University of Pennsylvania Press 2009). He is a co-editor of MichiganCivil Procedure During Trial, 2d Ed. (Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1989) and Michigan Civil Procedure (Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1999). Michigan State University and Central Michigan University have awarded him honorary degrees.
By Dawson Bell
Free Press Lansing Bureau
Recently re-elected Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert Young Jr. was chosen this morning as the court’s new Chief Justice by his colleagues.
A breakdown of the vote on the seven-member court was not immediately released. But Young, a nominee of the Republican Party, was widely expected to benefit from the GOP’s return to majority after the November election.
Young was appointed to the state appeals court by former Gov. John Engler in 1995, and to the Supreme Court in 1999.