Michigan

Justices

• Chief Justice Marilyn Jean Kelly – Term expires 2012 (leans progressive)

• Justice Mike Cavanagh – Term expires 2015 (leans progressive)

• Justice Elizabeth Weaver – Term expires 2011 (leans conservative)

• Justice Maura Corrigan – Term expires 2012 (leans conservative)

• Justice Robert Young – Term expires 2011 (leans conservative)

• Justice Stephen Markman – Term expires 2013 (leans conservative)

• Justice Diane Hathaway – (leans progressive) — Newly elected 2008, defeated incumbent Chief Justice Clifford Taylor. Term expires 2016

About the court

The Michigan court is non-partisan with a narrow conservative majority. With the election of Justice Hathaway, the new makeup is 4 to 3.

Terms are 8 years. The next election cycle is 2010.

The ballot is non-partisan and at-large.

Unknown what former Chief Justice Taylor spent on his re-election efforts, but if past events are any indication of the future, he raised a considerable war chest, with the help of the state Republican party and Chamber of Commerce (N.B. – of the $7.3 million spent on independent expenditures in the 2000 race, $5.4 million of it was in favor of Clifford)

Clifford’s defeat this cycle may have been a direct result of a rift between Justice Weaver (R) and the other 4 Republicans (at the time) on the bench. Justice Taylor accused Clifford of “…misuse and abuse of power and the repeated disorderly, unprofessional and unfair conduct of the people’s judicial business by the majority of four, Chief Justice Taylor, and Justices Corrigan, Young, and Markman.”