The ditch of partisan politics

In another column for the Free Press, Brian Dickerson discusses recent comments from former Michigan Supreme Court justices. Both say the court is unacceptably partisan.

Before the justices spoke, retiring justice Marilyn Kelly and US Court of Appeals judge Jim Ryan issued a report about the court's partisanship, how alarming that is, and urged a slate of reforms, including a new way to nominate justices. The current method is nomination by the political parties (along with campaign funding), for a "non-partisan" race.

The first justice to speak is Elizabeth Weaver, GOP appointee, who left the court in 2010. She wrote a 750 page book (well, the manuscript is that long) documenting just how partisan the court is, and what should be done about it.

The other voice is Chief Justice Thomas Brennan, also GOP. He left the court in 1973 to become the first dean of the Thomas E. Cooley Law School. His attack came a few weeks ago at the 25th anniversary of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. He called for the passage of the Ryan-Kelly recommendations, saying "It is time for the Supreme Court to dig itself out of the ditch of partisan politics."

Alas, neither Gov. Snyder, whose campaign theme was "Reinvent Michigan" nor the GOP controlled legislature show a whole lot of interest in taking up the reforms.